


Our Balance is Sacred

by KTG



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Ambiguous Character Death, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Blow Jobs, F/M, Fluff, Masturbation, Mild BDSM, Slow Burn, Time Skips, bending kinks, bending sex, saliva-bending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:49:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 34,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25034221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KTG/pseuds/KTG
Summary: The Hundred Year War is finally, finally over.Unfortunately, that doesn't mean the fighting is done. Aang, Katara, and the others are thrust into political games as the world around them changes. The rising tensions between the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation have the world on the brink of war once again.Aang will do everything in his power to keep another war from breaking out, but things are looking grim at best. He hopes peace will come in a few months, but as the years pass, he realizes that the fallout from the Hundred Year War is going to take much, much longer to settle. In the meantime, he and Katara have to learn to balance their relationship--and their growing family--with their duties to the world.This fic takes places over the course of several years and focuses primarily on Katara and Aang and their family with background events taken from canon material.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Mai/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 52
Kudos: 188





	1. Beginnings Fraught with Turbulence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sour_Bananurrr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sour_Bananurrr/gifts).



> I'm so thankful for the chance to work on this fic! I typically write M/M, but I have a very special place in my heart for Katara and Aang, so this fic is really close to my soul. ATLA is one of the shows that continues to inspire people long after it has finished running.
> 
> Please note that most of the canon material I include will be from wikis and will come from the graphic novel additions to the series. I don't know everything that happens, so if you see a major mistake, please let me know! I'm trying to keep the story as close to canon as possible, but I'm bound to slip up.
> 
> For the most part, major events will be talked about, but not shown (since the graphic novel series shows those events far better than I could ever write them). My goal with this story is to explore Katara and Aang's relationship during those events and to show how they try to find balance between being a couple (and later, parents) and being icons of freedom and change.
> 
> Please note that the tags will update as the story moves forward. I'll post NSFW CWs at the beginning of chapters that have such content.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!

“The Earth king has finally returned to his palace in Ba Sing Se,” said Katara as she sank down onto the bench next to Aang.

He didn’t miss the bitterness in her voice. She’d been acting this way since leaving Yu Dao and since Kuei, the Earth king, had inadvertently insulted her by suggesting that the Southern Water Tribe wasn’t cultured or civilized. Not that Aang could blame her. The Southern chief was her father, Hakoda. He had made great strides in his attempt to get the Earth Kingdom to support the Water Tribe’s integration into equal power among the other nations and in supporting the Southern Reconstruction Project.

And of course, Kuei, inexperienced as he was in  _ actually _ leading and understanding the nuances of politics, had said that he supported the Water Tribe as a whole in making “measurable, concrete progress toward civilization.”

That had not been the right thing to say. Not in the least. It seemed these days that no one could really say the right thing, though. The world was still on edge from Fire Lord Ozai’s defeat.

“The nerve of that man,” Katara continued, legs pulled toward her torso as she leaned forward, glaring out at the water. “How could he say something like that? And to our faces! We’re civilized!”

“Yeah, you are,” Aang replied softly.

He understood Katara’s anger, and he was honestly humbled by how well she’d held herself together during the latest meetings. She and Sokka had both been more than a little irked at the comment, and Hakoda had shown great restraint in his response to Kuei’s comments. Kuei had eventually apologized, and even though he hadn’t meant them to be cutting, it was still a sore wound and would be for quite some time.

“He should keep his nose out of our business,” she continued. “We don’t  _ need _ him or his support. It’s not like he’s actually even doing anything for us.”

“Actually,” Aang said, drawing the word out and cringing as he spoke, “you sort of do. And I’m not just saying that. The world is out of balance, and the Water Tribe needs to be properly represented. Hakoda’s doing a great job for the south, and I’m really glad he was elected chieftain, but…”

“But he’s my dad,” she said, frowning. “And he’s biased.”

She wasn’t wrong.

As her father--and Sokka’s--Hakoda would be facing challenges unlike any other. Katara and Sokka had helped bring down the Fire lord and had ended the Hundred Year War alongside the Avatar. They held a special place in the eyes of people all around the world, and choosing not to support his own children’s choices could have disastrous consequences.

The problem was, Katara and Sokka were still young.

They were  _ all _ young. Too young to be leading nations and making decisions like these, but here they were, trying to stop another war and attempting to keep peace between the nations. Here they were, acting like the adults in a situation they had no control over.

And yet, Aang was barely one hundred thirteen (or truly, thirteen) and Karata wasn’t much older. They were helping build laws and construct new borders as children. Hakoda and the other ruling parties around the globe had to trek the line between insult and offering true insight. It had to be frustrating.

It  _ was _ frustrating for Aang. He needed guidance. All knowledge would be useful in moving forward, but he had to trust that the knowledge offered was given with good intentions, which wasn’t always going to be the case. People would try to take advantage of their youth and lack of political experience.

A golden sunset cascaded over the ocean, and Aang smiled sadly as he pulled his knees to his chest. “This isn’t going to be easy, Katara. So much has happened, and so many things still need to be taken care of. We can’t just assume everything’s going to be fixed and perfect overnight. We have to work together to make the world a better place.”

She scowled out at the water, her anger resounding heavily in the chill that surrounded them. They were headed north to deal with yet another uprising in Yu Dao. It was the one region of the former Fire Nation Colonies in the Earth Kingdom that was refusing to give up its hold. The people living in Yu Dao had been established for almost a hundred years. Leaving wasn’t an option for a lot of the families there. The town and region had become a culture of its own since its establishment, and Fire Lord Zuko had made it clear that he wouldn’t be forcing the people there to leave.

“Aang, we need to talk to him about how he’s handling things. He refuses to work with Zuko or Hakoda or anyone else. He doesn’t want to give us an inch, even after everything we’ve done for him!”

“I know,” he admitted.

Kuei was a good friend to them, but he was inexperienced. Being told how to rule since he was four meant that he didn’t actually  _ know _ how to handle the large changes sweeping the globe. He couldn’t know. Long Feng had been in control of the Earth Kingdom most of Kuei’s life, and it showed in how he was handling the so-called negotiations with Fire Lord Zuko.

Less than a year ago, the world had changed. Fire Lord Ozai had been removed from power. His bending had been taken, and with it, the Fire Nation’s lust for conquest had been steadily declining. Well,  _ declining _ might have been too kind a word to explain what had been happening since the events during Sozin’s Comet. Some of the former colonies in the Earth Kingdom had returned to Kuei’s realm, but others were holding out and fighting back.

The tensions between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation were only getting worse, and Aang was struggling to find a way to bring peace between the two nations.

He was so, so tired of the fighting. Some part of him had naively hoped that ending Fire Lord Ozai’s reign meant that the fighting would end, too.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

After one hundred years of war, it made sense that not everyone would be so quick to change their minds or to fall in line with whatever their ruler said to do. Especially considering how young Fire Lord Zuko was. Not everyone trusted his ability to rule. Peace might have been obtained on a grand scale, but maintaining it on a smaller scale was all but impossible. With the insults Kuei had leveled at the Water Tribe and Kuei’s refusal to give Yui Dao up, the Earth Kingdom was looking less and less likely to maintain the tender balance it had obtained at the end of the Hundred Year War.

“We need to talk with him and Zuko, get them both to see that there’s a peaceful solution to the problem,” Aang continued. He reached over and took his girlfriend’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “I need you there, too, Katara.”

Katara turned away, pulling her hand from Aang’s. She wrapped her arms around her knees again. “I should be back home, helping my dad and the others. My people need me right now more than Zuko or the Earth king do.”

“Katara,” Aang said softly, “the whole  _ world _ is in unrest. We changed everything by taking Ozai out. We should be a united front right now. The best way for us to handle this is together. And… and I need you.”

“I want to help my people get their lives back to normal,” she insisted.

Aang shook his head slowly. He understood, really. But he just… he wasn’t sure he could do this without her. “For the last hundred years,  _ normal _ has meant war and fighting. That’s not something that’ll change overnight.” He stood and offered her his hand. “You and Sokka are part of the change, but you have to trust your dad to do his job. He can handle the restoration and adjustments for the south. For now, you and Sokka would be better off representing your tribe while we negotiate peace between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation.”

Hesitation.

Aang hated it when she hesitated, because he knew most of the time it meant that she didn’t agree with him.

“Please,” he murmured. “I can’t do this alone. I need you with me.”

She took his hand and stood, pulling him close. Even after nearly a year together, she was still taller than him. Still taller, and in some ways, still so much stronger.

Aang didn’t mind, though. She was and would always be the most beautiful woman in the world to him. He admired her strength, dedication, and determination. There was no other woman in the world like Katara, and he couldn’t imagine his life without her. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her cheek and smiled up at her. “Thank you, Katara. I know this is going to be hard, but we can do this.  _ Together. _ ”

Katara’s shoulders drooped, and she refused to look at him.

Yes, he was asking a lot, but he hoped she understood why he needed her. Aang just couldn’t manage everything on his own. He could only do so much. Being in the good graces of rulers and kings would only get him so far. He needed his support group. Katara, Sokka, Toph--they were all important, but Katara most of all.

“I know you’re right. I just… I think some part of me hoped I could go home after the war ended. I want to be with my dad and GranGran. I don’t want to miss any more than I already have.”

He desperately wanted her to stay. Katara leaving meant that he’d have to handle things on his own. Well, not entirely on his own. Zuko and his uncle would be there, and so would Toph. But it wasn’t quite the same. Katara was his anchor. She grounded him. Ever since they’d first met, she’d always been the only one able to settle him and keep him centered. If she left, she would be taking that calm tranquility with her.

_ It’s fine _ , he thought.  _ I’ve mastered the Avatar state, and I’ve figured out how to go into it and come out of it on my own. _ Stopping before he’d killed Ozai was proof enough of that. It still didn’t mean that he trusted himself, though. Not entirely.

The Avatar state was still deadly and dangerous, and he still didn’t think he’d be able to pull himself out of it on his own if something triggered it.

But he had to try.

“Please just think about it,” he asked. “I understand if you feel like you have to go, but… please think about staying with me.”

Tears bubbled in Katara’s beautiful blue eyes as she finally lifted her gaze to meet his. How he would miss her eyes. How he would miss  _ her _ if she left. His heart ached at the thought.

_ I hope you stay. _

“I will,” she whispered. She brushed the tears away. “I just wish there was a way to do both. To live there and to stay here.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he murmured, leaning up to kiss her cheek. “We’ve been through so much together, Katara. I know we can do this, too. We can bring balance to the world and to our personal lives, too.”

“Yeah,” she said. “You’re right. We can.”

Aang pulled her into a tight hug, trying to convince both of them with touch alone that they could overcome everything in just a few short months. And once things were figured out, they could live wherever Katara wanted. They could return to the Southern Water Tribe and stay there, or they could move to one of the air temples. They could even stay in the Earth Kingdom or in the Fire Nation.

Once things between the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation were resolved, they could simply live out their lives. They could talk about what they wanted to do and where they wanted to go.

After all, he’d saved the world in just a few months. How hard could restoring balance be?


	2. Like the Tide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you enjoy this chapter! ^u^ This fic is taking on some aspects of a slow burn, so I updated the tags a little.

**One Year Later**

It turned out that restoring balance wasn’t as easy as Aang had hoped. In the last year, much had changed, but it never felt like enough had been done to restore full balance to the world. In the last year alone, he’d dealt with Fire Lord Zuko nearly being assassinated and threatening to back out of the Harmony Restoration Movement--in which all Fire Nation nationals were to leave Earth Kingdom lands and return home--and Yu Dao revolting against the movement entirely.

Aang had  _ barely _ managed to stop the revolt from turning into an all-out war. On top of that, changes were being made to the area surrounding Yu Dao to try and incorporate the population with the Earth Kingdom. People of Fire Nation descent and nationality were struggling to keep their home and their traditions. The mixture of cultures and determining who should get the city--the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom--was causing more turmoil than Aang had first thought possible. Things had been so unsettled in the region that most of Team Avatar--sans Zuko, who often had to stay in the Fire Nation to handle business--had taken residence near the city just to keep order.

In the year since the end of the war, Toph had founded the Beifong Metalbending Academy near Yu Dao, and Aang had converted some of his fanclub members into the new Air Acolytes. While they wouldn’t entirely replace his lost nation, their presence around Yu Dao had helped settle some of the tensions in the city.

Sometimes, he felt like he’d done well. Other times, he opened his eyes wider and saw the bigger picture. He saw all of the pain and heartache and trauma the war had caused and the generations it had ruined and changed.

Even with Team Avatar and the Air Acolytes trying to spread peace, the area around Yu Dao was a hotspot for easy friction between anyone and everyone. And Aang knew that if he wasn’t careful, that friction would only spread.

For the most part, disputes were settled quickly and without much damage, but… things still weren’t going as smoothly as Aang had hoped.

They were going  _ more _ smoothly than before, certainly, which was good. Things were finally evening out enough for Aang to step away and handle other business when necessary. He found he could trust the Air Acolytes to keep peace--for the most part--if he needed to step away. That allowed him and the others to focus on more… personal problems.

Not long ago, Team Avatar had helped Zuko find his mother. It turned out she’d been living in her hometown of Hira’a, which was in the Fire Nation. She was home now in the capital, which was fantastic.

Zuko had been so glad to see his mother again, so relieved to bring her home.

Aang closed his eyes and laid back, letting the sun soak through his clothes and warm him. Today was the first day he’d had away from political struggles, national turmoil, and overall tension in a while. He wanted to relax as much as possible, get his mind off things for a while and just…  _ be _ .

He wanted to have peace while he could. Things were changing again. It seemed like things were always changing, though. The next big change… he didn’t want to dwell on it, but he couldn’t keep ignoring the fact that Master Pakku was coming to Yu Dao. He would be arriving soon, and then...

A shadow blocked out the sun.

“Hey,” he whined, using one hand to make a visor to peer up at the figure above him.

Katara chuckled. She was leaning over him, her long hair tied up and back against the summer heat. She wore light blue clothing in the Southern Water Tribe style, her forearms wrapped and a thick leather-and-fur belt around her waist. She settled down on the grass beside him.

“You doing all right?”

Aang sighed and dropped his arm back beside his head, letting his eyes drift shut against the warm sunlight. “I guess. I just wish we had more time to be together.”

“We’re  _ always _ together,” she replied. She nudged him playfully, trying to lighten the tension that weighed between them.

“Ha ha.” The laugh was dry.

Aang heaved himself up and gazed down at the lake and waterfall. The rolling hills of grass in the glen were calming, and the pounding of water reassured him. He’d gone into the mountains outside Yu Dao for some quiet, but it wasn’t surprising that Katara had found him. She knew where he liked to go to be alone. Since travelling to one of the air temples every time he needed a break was out of the question, he’d found this little area in the mountains for meditation and time away. This was his haven, his small piece of stillness outside the tumultuous city.

“Aang… if we need to talk about something, you need to tell me,” she said, voice growing soft and serious. “I can’t read your mind.”

He hummed and leaned against her. “It’s not you, I promise.” Except it sort of was. Just not her directly. She would be leaving soon, really leaving, but he understood why, and he couldn’t be mad about it. Hurt, sure, but not angry. And he didn’t want her to see his pain. If she did, she’d probably stay, and deep down, Aang knew she couldn’t. So he redirected the conversation to his other concerns--ones that didn’t involve her directly. “It’s just… all of this turmoil and strife and change, and I’m barely fifteen. I know that solving problems is part of being the avatar, but I’d sort of hoped that I’d be able to… you know, have a normal life once the war was over.”  _ I hoped I could just go with you, wherever you went. _

Katara nodded, plucking at the grass in front of her. The movement was absent, and some part of Aang ached for the grass’s loss of life.

He turned away.

It was foolish to be upset over her pulling up grass. She wasn’t doing it out of spite, but after so many years of violence and war, any small action that hurt  _ anything _ felt like a knife to his chest. The simplest things always seemed to hurt the worst for some reason.

Aang reached over and caught her hand before she could do it again. He slipped his fingers across her palm and twined them between hers.

“There’s so much violence in the world, and I’m trying so hard to teach people how to respect one another’s differences. I just… I feel like this would have been so much easier with my nation behind me. I feel like we could have…” His voice choked, and he closed his eyes against stinging tears. “...I wouldn’t have felt so  _ alone _ .”

“But you’re not alone,” she murmured, pulling him closer. “Think of all we’ve accomplished together. The Air Acolytes, Yu Dao finally calming down, Zuko’s mom… there’s so much we’ve done, so much we should be thankful for. And we did it as a  _ group _ , as Team Avatar.”

Aang wiped his eyes. “I know, but sometimes… sometimes, it feels worse knowing that we’ve done so much.” That sounded silly. “I… I can’t explain it.” He turned away, wishing he could find the words to describe the empty ache in his chest that their progress left him with. Progress was great, and part of him was truly happy and proud of their accomplishments, but…

“I think I understand,” Katara replied.

“I doubt it.” He didn’t intend the words to be so cutting and harsh, but how could she understand? She’d lost people, of course. They all had. But it wasn’t the  _ same _ as losing an entire  _ nation _ . It would never be the same.

Katara wrapped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. At just younger than fifteen, Aang had finally grown taller than her, and his shoulders were starting to fill in. He was still smaller than Sokka, but eventually, he’d probably catch up. Still, it was nice being able to wrap his arms around the love of his life like this. It was nice to hold her and be held.

“When I lost my mother,” she began softly, “I didn’t just lose her as a person. I lost all of the times we could have spent together. All of the celebrations, all of the successes and failures and lessons and… well, everything. Losing someone… it’s so much more than just losing  _ them _ . When you lost the Air Nation, you also lost everything you could have done with them. You lost all of the potential to be together. So… yeah, it’s not exactly the same, but I sort of get what you mean.”

Aang couldn’t help but offer her a small smile.

She did understand. Of course she did. Katara always seemed to know how to phrase things to help the noise in his own head make sense. She was right. It wasn’t the same, but it was similar, and that was exactly how he’d been feeling. The accomplishments they’d had as a group were great, but he deeply wished his people were there to celebrate those successes with him. Their absence left a hollow in his chest and gut every time something went well.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “It’s… it’s really hard not having my people here. The Air Acolytes help, don’t get me wrong, but…”

“It’s not the same,” she said, resting her hand against his chest and gazing up at him.

“No. It’s not.”

They sat in silence for a long time. Shadows stretched from the trees, eventually shielding them from the direct sunlight. They curled in closer despite the heat, savoring the few, rare minutes together.

Katara turned up to him before leaning in for a slow, soft kiss.

Aang sighed through his nose, closing his eyes. His hand slipped up to cup her cheek, and he pulled her closer.

Katara always seemed to taste like freedom, like the ocean air and wide skies. She smelled fresh, like new snow melt, and he adored it. He adored everything about her. Sure, they fought at times and struggled to overcome their differences. The difficulties wouldn’t end, either. Not if Sokka and Suki were anything to go by, but at least he and Katara wouldn’t fight about sea prunes.

Aang huffed a chuckle into the kiss. The snort startled Katara, and she pulled back, blue eyes wide.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was thinking of Sokka and Suki,” he admitted, “and how they fought over whether sea prunes were good for your skin or not.”

She laughed and bumped her forehead against his. “I don’t know if he’ll ever live that one down.”

“Probably not,” Aang replied, grinning.

Sokka had been trying to convince Suki to eat more sea prunes to help with a blemish she had. At first, Suki had just dismissed the idea, but, well… Sokka was always one to convince himself he was being helpful. He kept pushing and pushing, and eventually, Suki had assumed that he was calling her ugly. The argument had only escalated from there.

That had been a fight for the ages--all because Sokka thought he was helping his girlfriend when he’d actually ended up insulting her instead.

“We don’t fight over stupid stuff, do we?” asked Katara, relaxing against him again.

“Are you kidding?” He broke into a fit of laughter. “We fought about your hair loopies last week.”

“ _ You _ told me that they were getting too long!”

He tugged at one lightly. “I’m not wrong. But I like them long.”

She rolled her eyes and shoved him down before straddling his lower stomach. “Just shut up and kiss me before you say something stupid.”

Aang beamed up at her before looping his arms around her and pulling her against his chest. Their lips met again, and he hummed into the kiss.

He tried to ignore the stirring desire for more. It was difficult, though. Desire for  _ more _ was becoming more and more of a struggle to push aside. Kissing her was great, and he wanted to kiss her for the rest of their lives together. Still, he knew he wanted more than just soft kisses. He wanted to roll them over and--

Aang swallowed.

Maybe someday, they could go further, but not now. Things were still too messy, too confusing outside their little bubble. He and Katara rarely had peaceful time alone like this, and he wanted to savor it for as long as he could.

The realization that their time was running short hit him like a boulder to the chest.

She would be going home soon.

Master Pakku was stopping in Yu Dao on his way south, and Katara and Sokka had already agreed to go home with him. Master Pakku was planning to found a waterbending school in the Southern Water Tribe, and while Katara’s own village didn’t have any other waterbenders, other Southern villages did. They’d come out of hiding one by one after the end of the Hundred Year War, and now they needed someone to teach them.

Master Pakku had asked Katara to work alongside him and help him teach. With so many waterbenders coming forward, he would need the help. That plus the rising tensions between the North and South meant that she  _ needed _ to be there to help keep the peace.

Aang tried not to think about her leaving, but…

But this was something she and her brother needed to do.

After everything the South had been through, them going home to help rebuild their nation’s bending prowess was their top priority--as it should be. They’d spent so much time helping other parts of the world that it was their turn to help their own people. Her father was doing amazingly well as chief and had brought so many of the villages together while his children were away. He’d helped found the new capital city, and the Southern Water Tribe was flourishing again after almost a hundred years of isolation.

But he couldn’t help hating the idea of Katara leaving him.

Tears welled behind his eyes, and his heart ached. Aang slid a hand up to the back of her head, as if he could pull her closer, as if he could keep her rooted to him always.

Their paths would split for a while, but it wouldn’t be forever.

It just felt like it.


	3. Exhaustion Seeps Deeper than Sleep can Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **CW: masturbation, mild bending kink play**
> 
> Aang is still technically underage here, so that's why I'm giving you all a heads up. If you don't want to read it, ignore the last few paragraphs (after "Meditating wasn't going to work").

**Nine months later**

Aang leaned against his hand, mind drifting off as he zoned in and out of the meeting. It didn’t actually involve him, which meant he was just there because he was the Avatar, not because he was integral to the problem being discussed. The people talking were all dignitaries from around the Earth Kingdom. Most of them represented small nearby cities or towns, and the main topic of the day was a massive cultural festival and ensuring morale near Yu Dao remained high. The goal was to keep the area from dissolving into disarray, and the Earth King had suggested an enormous festival to bring the locals together. It wasn’t a bad idea, all things considered. Yu Dao could use an uplifting event. Things had been moving in a positive direction on that front in general, but there were still issues. 

Aang couldn’t wait until he and Fire Lord Zuko finally approached the Earth King with their idea to make Yu Dao and the surrounding areas their own, independent nation. Right now, though, the idea was just that--an idea. Aang and Zuko hadn’t figured out a way to make the solution appealing to the Earth King, and until they did, they couldn’t bring it up. If they did, it would just seem like the Avatar and Fire Lord were colluding to get land and control fo Earth Kingdom territory.

 _Just another thing to worry about._ He sighed.

One of the representatives prattled on and on about what sorts of food should be allowed at the festival and what kinds of entertainment there should be. A woman stood and suggested including some Fire Nation dances and acts to appease the population that came from the Fire Nation.

And it didn’t end well.

The whole table dissolved into a heated discussion about what should and shouldn’t be welcomed at the festival.

“We’re trying to celebrate a mixture of cultures!” the woman insisted.

“In _Earth Kingdom_ territory!” the first man shouted back. “Putting on Fire Nation displays is an awful idea!”

Aang wasn’t paying much attention. The representatives would calm down. They didn’t need him to step in right then. If things got more heated, _then_ he’d get involved, but for now, it seemed wiser to let them sort through this themselves.

He was slowly learning when his advice was welcome and when it wasn’t necessary, and as a second woman stood, hands out as she offered a compromise, he thought, _See? They don’t need me for this._

The discussion resumed course with most everyone at the table agreeing to the compromise. Those who didn’t voiced their thoughts, and more adjustments were made to the plans.

Aang leaned back in his seat, trying not to look _too_ bored.

 _I miss Katara,_ he thought, frowning down at the wooden table in front of him. Normally, he was too busy to notice her absence unless he was alone, but… well, today’s meeting had nothing to do with him. He was simply there as a formality, representing…

Well, representing _nothing_ , he supposed. His wisdom and suggestions weren’t necessary for this discussion, and his presence was nothing more than a formality.

 _What_ am _I doing here?_ he wondered, glancing around the table.

A few of the faces, he recognized. Most he didn’t.

The Earth King wasn’t present, but his representative was. He listened with an easy smile and calm demeanor. For the most part, he was the one to offer suggestions when the others started bickering.

 _They listen to him._ It was nice, actually. Aang didn’t mind being the Avatar, but he also liked it when other people stepped up and guided those around them. The involvement and support of others in power made his job much easier.

Part of him wished he’d backed out of this meeting, now that he knew he wasn’t actually a required presence. He could have used the break.

 _I wish I could get out of this._ Asking to leave was a risky gamble. He didn’t want to risk offending anyone. After Katara and Sokka had gone south, he’d been working almost nonstop. Every day, he had to deal with something new. For the most part, he attended meetings like this one. Not all of them were so mundane, but this one…

This one was trying his patience.

He was just so _tired_ of the demands being placed on him. Almost sixteen years old, and people were constantly demanding he attend meetings or be involved in things that didn’t actually require his presence. Yes, he understood that he had a role to play and people to help, but there had to be a limit. He was just one person, after all. Without Katara acting as a buffer, he’d been unable to say no to anything, though. She truly was the best at knowing when he was burned out--and when his presence wasn’t actually necessary. And boy, he was _burned out._ He needed a break. A real one, too, not just an escape to his mountain oasis.

 _I bet I can go south and see her._ It _had_ been nine months since his girlfriend had left, after all. Taking time for himself to go and see her wouldn’t _exactly_ be selfish--would it? _No. It’s not. She’ll probably be happy to see me. Maybe we can go penguin sledding again, and we can stargaze._ For all he knew, Katara was probably just as burned out as he was. Master Pakku was a great man, but he could be extremely demanding.

Aang wasn’t much for cold weather, but he’d be more than happy to deal with ice and snow if it meant seeing his girlfriend again. He longed to be with her, yearned to see her smile and touch her face and hair and hands. The desire to kiss her was so overwhelming that he pursed his lips together to stop them from tingling.

Spirits, how he missed her.

The meeting dragged on and on, but Aang was busy inside his own head, planning his daydream trip to the South Pole. He’d tell people he was leaving, of course, and he’d have to make sure Toph could handle things here on her own for a little while. She’d be fine; he was sure of it. Of all the people to leave in charge, she’d be the best option. Her Metalbenders were already some of the strongest Earthbenders in the city, and she was considering her future and what she wanted to do now that the academy she’d founded was doing so well. A few weeks ago, she’d mentioned working in law enforcement off-hand.

_So leaving her here and letting her take charge might be the best way for her to decide if that’s what she wants to do._

It made sense, actually.

Aang smiled at that. He couldn’t be gone long, maybe a week at most, but it would be nice to just get away from everything, even if it was just for a few days.

 _Things have calmed down a lot. I’ll talk to her and see what she says._ He wouldn’t leave if she wasn’t comfortable with it, of course, but--

“Avatar Aang?”

He jumped and turned to the person who’d spoken to him. His personal assistant, Wu Fei, smiled down at him. Wu Fei had a long, narrow face, his white hair pulled back into a dangling braid. A green hat trimmed in gold sat atop his head, and his hands were clasped in front of him inside his green and gold robe sleeves.

“Ah, yeah?” He tried to sound like he’d been paying attention, but it was probably pretty obvious he’d been distracted.

His assistant offered a sympathetic smile. “The meeting has adjourned. We must be off to your next appointment, if you want to be on time.”

Aang glanced around the room. He was right. They were alone at the low table, the other seats vacant and pushed in. Lingering voices out in the main hallway suggested the meeting hadn’t ended all that long ago.

“Oh,” he replied, forcing a laugh as he stood. “Yes. Thank you, Wu Fei. I guess we should go, then.”

“As you like.”

Another meeting.

He sighed, shoulders slumping.

_I really need that vacation._

*

It turned out his meetings that day ran late into the night. After sitting in on the Earth Kingdom morale and festival discussion, Wu Fei had taken him to another building to offer his opinion on some small disturbances in former Fire Nation colonies to the west. Fire Lord Zuko hadn’t been able to attend that meeting, which was unfortunate, but he’d sent one of his many representatives to support his perspective and offer suggestions.

The solution--which Aang heartily disagreed with--had been to offer to pay the descendants of Fire Nation nationals to relocate back to their homeland. Most of the people who lived in the former colonies had never _been_ to the Fire Nation, though, let alone seen it, so he doubted many of them would accept the offer to be paid to move to a strange land.

_They’re asking those people to just… just leave their homes. They’re asking all of them to go to a place they’ve never been to and to start their lives over._

That wasn’t going to _work,_ but it felt like no one in power really cared all that much. Aang knew that wasn’t the case. The Earth King and Fire Lord Zuko _did_ care. They cared a lot. The problem was that the aftermath of the Hundred Year War was _still_ ongoing. People were still struggling, and the world was still out of balance.

It was frustrating and exhausting. At this point, it seemed like people were just giving up and offering whatever solution they could muster in the hopes that it would work.

Aang dropped onto his bed and sighed, eyes slipping closed.

He’d barely started to drift off when Momo pounced on his stomach and chriped. He titled his head to one side, ears flopping.

“Hey, Momo,” he mumbled, reaching up to scratch his winged lemur companion under his chin. “It’s been a long day. Bed time.”

Another chirp, followed by a low purr, helped put Aang’s mind at ease. Things would work out, one way or another. Aang felt it deep in his bones. The world--and he--would find a solution to the problems that kept popping up. It would just take time.

Momo walked in a circle over his stomach before lying down to nap.

“Good night, buddy,” he said, yawning. _I need to go see Appa tomorrow, too…_

A few minutes ticked by, and Aang had just started drifting to sleep again when Momo perked up, enormous ears flitting toward the window. He chirped again before jumping off Aang and zooming out the open window to investigate whatever he’d heard.

Aang groaned. “I just want some _sleep_. Please! Just a little rest! I’m not asking for much, here!”

With that, he rolled onto his side and forced his eyes shut, determined to fall asleep.

A few long seconds dragged by. The position was uncomfortable, so Aang rolled over and tried again. Turned out that was terribly uncomfortable, too. It was like his bed was full of rocks! Nothing he did worked.

Aang rolled onto his back and slapped his hands over his face with a groan. Exhaustion weighed so heavily on him that he could practically _feel_ the bags under his eyes. He needed to get some rest, but no matter which way he tossed or turned, he just couldn’t _sleep_ . Nothing felt right. The air was too cold, but his blankets were too heavy and stuffy. He got too hot when he tried to use just one blanket. He kicked it off, only to get cold again. The cicada-crickets were going _bonkers_ outside, too, their hissing chirps clicking nonstop.

Finally, he growled and sat up, glaring over at the open window.

“Be quiet out there!” he shouted.

The chirping stopped.

Aang sighed and fell backward, trying to find the peace he’d had before Momo had interrupted his rest.

Within seconds, the cicada-crickets started up their ruckus again.

A frustrated snarl came next, and when Aang realized he’d been the one to make the feral noise, he sighed and closed his eyes. He tried to force himself to relax.

“Getting angry won’t do anything to help me,” he mumbled. “Come on, Aang. Calm down. Focus. Meditate.”

He dragged himself into a seated position and closed his eyes. Aang crossed his legs and pressed his knuckles together as he tried to clear his mind enough to achieve some form of peace.

_Think about nothing. Imagine nothing._

It was harder said than done with the cicada-crickets chirping in the background, their noise meshing together until it was almost a chorus of loud, uneven hissing.

Aang sighed and slumped forward.

Meditating wasn’t going to work.

He chewed his lower lip, another idea coming to mind. Unlike meditation, this _would_ work. He knew it would, and he sort of needed some alone time, anyway. It had been a while since he’d masturbated. His dick twitched at the thought.

 _It’ll take the edge off,_ he decided, lying back and closing his eyes as he slipped his hand down to touch himself.

Masturbating always helped him relax.

His hand curled around his half-hard cock, and he slowly stroked himself. Pleasure sang through his lower abdomen like fire, and he sighed as he rubbed his thumb over the tip of his cock. The last few years, he'd practiced using light bending on himself while he masturbated, and tonight was no different. Aang didn't have any water nearby, or he'd waterbend. Instead, he heated his fingertips and palms just enough to make his toes curl, and a breath of cool airbending across his thighs and stomach made goosebumps prickle over his skin.

He stroked himself faster, his mind hyperfocused on the building pleasure. His eyes rolled back, and he gasped as he cupped his balls with his other hand. He heated it, squeezing lightly and massaging himself until--

Aang moaned as hot cum spurted up and over his stomach. He collapsed, chest heaving.

Without a second though, he used waterbending to clean himself off.

By the time he finished, Aang’s body felt leaden, and his eyes refused to open. He dozed for a while in fuzzy bliss before finally drifting off to sleep. His dreams that night were of reuniting with Katara, and every single one of them was blissful.

Aang’s lips curled into a happy smile as he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wu Fei~
> 
> I miss Gundam Wing so much sometimes.


	4. Beneath the Crescent Moon You Shine Anew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has me so incredibly soft, oh my god. The next chapter is going to jump ahead a few years, but I really wanted to get this bit in and show how tender these two are and how much they missed each other during their time apart. If you know about the events after the TV show ended, you'll know that this chapter takes place right before Gilak and the Southern Water Tribe nationalists try to eradicate all Northerners from the South. I won't go into the details of those events, but this leads into that (which in turn leads into the events in Korra... ahhhh, this series is so incredible, oh my god).
> 
> Heads up: The next chapter will be NSFW.
> 
> Thank you all for sticking with me! I've really enjoyed writing this story. I have such a soft spot for Aang and Katara, and I feel so incredibly lucky to have the chance to write this story.

The trip to the South Pole had taken Aang nearly a week. He’d been stopped on more than one occasion by people seeking his aid for trivial problems, but he never once refused to help them. He was, after all, the Avatar. More than once, Momo had made things more difficult by stealing food or running off. Even as an old lemur, he was still getting into trouble.

By the time they finally arrived, it was late. The crescent moon hung high above in the clear southern sky, and despite the warmth everywhere else, the tundra was frigid. Cold air whipped around him as he rode atop Appa’s head. Momo was huddled beside him, trying in vain to find warmth.

Katara and Sokka were staying in the newly refurbished capital city, so that was where Aang was headed. It was small compared to much grander cities like Ba Sing Se and the Northern Water Tribe capital, but it had a sort of beauty that Aang had seen nowhere else in the world--and he wasn’t referring to Katara.

Much like the Northern capital, the Southern capital was surrounded by thick walls of ice and snow. It, however, was landlocked rather than pressed against the edge of the ocean. A field of ice spread beyond the thick wooden doors that led into the city, and men and women huddled in small shelters as they fished through the thick ice and laid out various long lines for bottom feeders. Most of the people fishing were finishing up before the night became unbearably cold, even for those used to the climate, but a few were still checking lines and laying new ones out.

“Wow,” he murmured as he and Appa glided overhead. “This is incredible!”

It was absolutely amazing seeing so many people of the Southern Water Tribe in one place. The village Katara and Sokka had taken him to when they’d first met was nothing compared to this. It warmed his heart to see their mother culture reviving and thriving once more.

Beyond the frozen fishing areas were huts and houses. Most were built from ice and snow, but all of them were lined with wood, furs, and skins. Fires flickered within the homes, lighting up the South with bright orange dots that looked like stars. From so high above the city, it looked like the ground below was its own glittering universe, full of life and promise and warmth.

Aang sighed through his nose at the sight and leaned forward on Appa’s head. He absently scratched the top of Momo’s head as he gazed down at the city. Momo purred and shifted closer.

It was so beautiful here. The air was far more clear down here than near Yu Dao. The air up there was thick with industry and with the changing social climate. He could practically  _ taste _ the unrest while staying in Yu Dao, but here? Here, the unrest caused by King Kuei’s comments had long been laid down. Here, the people of the South and immigrants from the North were getting along. Sure, tension still ran between a few people, but it wasn’t like it first was back when the Northern Water Tribe first started the restoration of its sister tribe.

He hummed as he turned toward the palace, where Chief Hakoda ruled over his people. It wasn’t as grand as the palace in the north, but it was just as beautiful. Wooden beams supported hundreds of tons of snow and ice, and the windows were made from ice so clear that Aang thought they were air at first.

Appa settled in the palace yard with a heavy groan, and Aang patted him. “Good boy, Appa.”

No doubt his companion was exhausted. They’d spent most of the day in the air, trying to help pull an air balloon from a cliffside before it fell and the people inside the cabin were killed. Thankfully, Aang had managed to get everyone out before the cliff gave way under its weight.

His arrival had been expected earlier that day, but of course so many stops had put him behind schedule. The guards assigned to greet him raced down snowy steps and bowed. They seemed flustered.

“Avatar Aang! We apologize for our tardiness!” one man shouted, panting hard.

Aang laughed softly. “It’s my fault. I stopped to help some people. Would you mind getting Appa somewhere warm and getting him some food?” He turned to his sky-bison. “You’re hungry, aren’t ya, boy?”

That earned another long groan from his companion, and Appa all but flopped onto his belly and heaved an exhausted sigh.

After one final pat, Aang bent the air around him and hoisted himself off the back of Appa’s head. He landed delicately on the packed snow and bowed to the soldiers. Most of them looked like they were from the Northern Tribe, though he couldn’t be entirely sure. He was still trying to figure out whether the people of the North and South preferred to be united under one tribal flag or if they were intent on retaining their independence. They still dressed differently, still wore slightly different moon-and-water sigils, so he presumed they were still devoted to their homeland.

He turned to the nearest soldier. “Can you tell me where Master Katara is?”

The soldier nodded and pointed up toward the palace. “She and the other Waterbenders are in the training yard out back.”

“Really? Isn’t it a bit late to train?”

“They’re working on healing under the moon,” she replied. “Once the moon reaches its zenith, they’ll be done for the night.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “See you soon, buddy!” With that, he headed up the steps and toward the palace.

Behind him, Momo glided silently on the chilly air. The flying lemur would need to find someplace warm before too long. He was getting older, and his fur had thinned out in areas. For now, though, he seemed content to stay with Aang.

Up the steps and around the side of the massive palace they went, Aang smiling and waving to the people he ran into. He didn’t stop to chat, though. After such a long week in the air, he had one goal in mind, and that was seeing his girlfriend.

“Aang!”

Sokka grabbed his wrist, forcing him to slow down.

“Sokka!” He grinned. “Hey!”

The older man pulled him into a tight hug. “It’s good to see you, man.”

“Same to you,” he replied. “I was just on my way to see Katara.”

Sokka nodded and motioned for Aang to follow him. “She’s teaching right now, but she should be done in about an hour.”

Aang frowned as his friend led him inside the palace and down a hallway. “The soldiers said she’s out back, though.”

“Oh, she is,” he replied. “But you don’t wanna interrupt them right now. Trust me, I tried.” He gave a hollow laugh and then mimicked his sister’s pitched voice, “ _ Sokka, you know we have too much to do tonight without you interrupting us every five minutes! Go be useful somewhere else! _ ”

He snorted and couldn’t help laughing. “Yeah, that sounds like her, all right.”

Sokka smiled fondly. “Here. Let me show you to where you’ll be staying, and then we can grab a bite to eat.”

Momo chirped at that. He landed on Aang’s shoulder and wrapped his tail around the Avatar’s head, still chittering away at the mention of food.

Aang burst into laughter when his own stomach groaned. “Yeah, yeah. Okay. That sounds good, actually.”

Sokka waved him forward, and Aang followed.

*

The moon had long since passed its zenith, and Aang finally stepped out onto the courtyard behind the palace, stomach full. Momo was fast asleep in his chambers, buried under a bed of furs and woven blankets.

Aang smiled as he watched Katara talking with master Pakku and a few lingering students. He leaned against an elaborate, intricate railing around the courtyard. It, like most everything else here, was made of ice and snow.

_ She’s so beautiful, _ he thought as he gazed down at her. His heart clenched at the sight of his girlfriend showing one of the students how to weave the octopus form.  _ And so incredible. _

The years since the end of the Hundred Year War hadn’t changed his feelings for her or his awe of her raw strength and talent with waterbending. She was a master, through and through. Yes, he was the Avatar, and yes, he had made great strides in his control over the four bending elements, but he knew deep down that he would never surpass her in waterbending.

_ I’m the luckiest guy in the world. _

The water around her dropped back to the ground, and she and her students bowed before going their separate ways.

Master Pakku walked back toward the palace with her, the two of them caught in low discussion about something.

“Amazing, aren’t they?”

Aang just about jumped out of his skin. He hadn’t heard anyone walk up to him.

Kanna, Katara’s grandmother, smiled over at him. She was dressed in thick furs and warm clothes against the night’s chill.

“Yeah,” he replied, swallowing the startled squeak in his voice. He cleared his throat. “Yeah, they are.”

“I never did get the chance to thank you, young avatar,” she said softly, turning back out to watch her granddaughter and Master Pakku as they approached the lower set of stairs leading up to the courtyard.

“For what?”

“For finding the man I always wished I’d married,” she replied, “and for bringing my grandchildren home safely. For showing them the world and teaching them such amazing things.”

Aang gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “If anything, I should be thanking  _ you. _ Sokka and Katara are the ones who taught  _ me, _ not the other way around.”

Kanna eyed him quietly. “I think we both know that teaching goes both ways.”

“Aang!”

His heart sang at the sound of Katara’s voice, and he turned, beaming at her as she ran over to hug him.

Instantly, he realized he’d grown in their nine months apart. She fit against his broad chest perfectly, like a piece to a puzzle he hadn’t known he’d been searching for. He buried his face in her dark hair and inhaled a slow breath.

The salt and sea and ice rolled off of her in fragrant waves.

_ I missed you. _ He exhaled against her. “Katara…”

Tears pricked his eyes. He couldn’t explain it, how much he’d missed her, how much being without her made his heart ache. The words just wouldn’t come, but that was okay. It was okay, because right now, they were together again.

She pulled back, but didn’t let go, keeping her arm around his middle.

“I think we’ll let you two have some time alone,” said Master Pakku as he rested his own hand on Kanna’s shoulder. “It is good to see you again, Avatar.”

“Master Pakku,” he replied, bowing awkwardly and offering a friendly smile. “I’d love to catch up.”

“In the morning,” he replied. “We’ll see you at the morning palace feast.”

He’d have been lying if he said he wasn’t intensely glad for the privacy. As Master Pakku and Kanna left for their own home, Aang turned back to his girlfriend. He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, content to just breathe the same air as her.

“I missed you so much,” she whispered, her lips barely a breath from his own.

“I know the feeling.”

She chuckled before leaning up to kiss him. It was slow, sweet, a wordless communication of all their time apart and how they felt. Her lips were soft, even in such cold weather.

Aang cupped her face, sighing into the kiss as he leaned in for more. Their tongues brushed over one another, and Aang hummed, pressing forward again.

Katara’s hands wandered along his sides and up over his shoulders. She traced his jaw and his neck and ears, every touch sending warmth through Aang’s skin. Other touches, tender ones that only she could ever offer him, followed. They weren’t always with her lips or fingers, though. Water, oddly warm despite the cold night, trailed over his forearms and under his tunic.

He inhaled sharply, ending the kiss, when water wrapped around his waist and tugged him closer.

Katara grinned up at him, a devilish glint in her eyes. “Where are you staying?”

He cleared the nervousness from his voice. “So-Sokka showed me to my rooms, in the, uh, the south wing.”

“Wrong answer,” she replied, wiggling her eyebrows. “You’re staying with me. Come on.”

Aang beamed, letting Katara pull him inside. “Definitely.”


	5. A Splendor Unlike Any Other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **CW: NSFW!**
> 
> I'm really excited to finally post this chapter! Here, they're in their late teens and early 20s, if my timeline is correct. I really love seeing where this story is headed! It has been such a fun ride!

**Several years later**

“Sokka wants to rename Cranefish Town,” said Aang as he reclined on the soft pillows around him. He, Toph, and Katara were in his and Katara’s home, enjoying one another’s company before turning in for the night.

This was one of the rare moments where most of Team Avatar was in the same place--just on the outskirts of what was a booming metropolis. Over the years, the small settlement of Cranefish Town had exploded from a glorified fisherman’s wharf to an industrial hub. People from every nation had come to the city, and more were filtering in every day, searching for work and prosperity.

Not all of them found it.

As much good as Cranefish Town had done for industry in the area--and for the world at large--it suffered from overpopulation, which led to a spike in crime. Things weren’t looking great in some areas, but in others… well, people were flourishing.

It was incredible to see.

Talks of transforming the old Fire Nation Colonies in the Earth Kingdom had finally found footing a few years prior. Aang and Fire Lord Zuko hand managed to convince King Kuei to allow the western edge of the Earth Kingdom to become its own nation. Slowly, the United Republic of Nations was taking hold and growing into its own.

“What’s he wanna call it this time?” Toph asked as she toyed with a piece of metal. “Platipusbear City?” She snorted a rough laugh.

Her metalbending academy had taken off, and she felt confident enough to leave her students’ training in the hands of her most accomplished pupils from time to time. Lately, she had started talking about travelling the world to teach other Earthbenders how to metalbend.

It was a good idea, if Aang was honest with himself. She had a unique skill, and not everyone could make the trek out to her academy near Yu Dao. Her going to them made sense, and besides, she had always wanted to “see” more of the world. Toph often laughed about that--and then punched whoever was closest to her in the shoulder hard enough to lay them flat.

“No,” Katara said, frowning as she reviewed a few scrolls with diplomatic information from the Southern Water Tribe. They were being sent to the Fire Nation for Fire Lord Zuko to review and approve. Something about expanding the ocean sanctuary at the southern border of the Fire Nation’s main island and increasing trade between the two nations. “He’s thinking of calling it Republic City.”

Toph lowered the metal she’d been toying with, staring across the room in thought. “That’s actually not horrible.”

“That’s what I said,” she replied with a laugh. She scribbled something on the scroll she was working on, her long hair draping down and accidentally dipping into the inkwell she was using. Black ink spread up into her hair, threatening to stain her clothes.

Aang chuckled and subtly used airbending and waterbending to push her hair back and pull the ink from it.

Katara, his lovely Katara, was too distracted by her work to notice. That wasn’t unusual. She typically lost herself to serving her tribe and helping her aging father with his diplomatic needs. Where Sokka spent the majority of his time in Cranefish Town helping the small council run the city, Katara was often doing the same for their father back home. She travelled between the South and other parts of the world with Aang at varying intervals. Most of the time, he did work that aligned with hers so they could stay together. Keeping peace worldwide had become easier over the years, but their mission was far from complete.

Still…

He smiled at the concentrated pinch to her brow and the way she stuck her tongue out as she thought.

_ I love you so much, Katara. _ She knew it, of course. They’d spent long nights together, repeating their love for one another and promising to work together to continue building the future of the world.

But Aang longed for their future to grow, too.

He couldn’t wait for the day that the two of them would be married. They talked about their wedding often, discussing different places to hold it and who would be invited. Katara had initially wanted their wedding to be near the South Pole, but Aang had softly admitted that he really, truly wanted it at the Southern Air Temple. His home.

Well, his home in a different life. A different life, but his life all the same. It was an important place to him, and she understood that.

They still hadn’t firmed out the details, but Aang was hoping they would get married the following spring--if, that was, things settled out enough in the rest of the world long enough for them to put a wedding together. That was a big  _ if,  _ though. Things never stayed calm for long.

“I kind of like it,” Aang said. “Republic City. It’s the biggest city in the United Republic of Nations, and it would help if the republic had a capital. It makes sense for Cranefish Town to take that role.”

Toph hummed and stood. She cracked her neck and lower back before stretching up toward the ceiling. “I guess. Just as long as he doesn’t change his mind to something stupid.”

“He has to get approval from the council, anyway,” Katara said absently as she wrote something else down. “It’s not like he can just rename an entire city on his own.”

“We  _ should _ have that sort of power by now,” Toph replied, blowing a stray strand of hair away from her nose and crossing her arms over her chest. “The world owes us--and not just a small debt, either. If he wants to name it something else, he should be able to name it something else. Even if his name stinks.”

Katara set her brush down and frowned up at Toph. “You know that’s not how this works. No one owes us anything.”

“Whatever.” Toph dropped into a familiar earthbending form. “I’m gonna hit the hay.” She jumped, slammed down, and the stone floor beneath her opened up, swallowing her whole. It sealed shut behind her.

Aang chuckled. “She’s not entirely wrong. She gave up a lot to come with us.”

Katara rolled her eyes and resumed her work. “Right. She gave up so much to come with us, save the world, invent a new bending form, and become one of the wealthiest and most respected people in the world.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm. “She needs to get over herself. No one owes her  _ anything. _ We saved the world because it was the right thing to do, not because we wanted something from everyone else.”

“You’re right,” he conceded, “but I think…” He hesitated. “I think it’s less about what other people owe her and what she wants from her parents.”

Katara stopped writing. The room became still. Finally, she set her brush down again, though the click of the utensil against the tabletop sounded rather final for the evening. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Well… you and Sokka have your dad’s love and respect. Even Zuko has… has his mom.” His voice softened as a familiar loss spread into his heart. The loss of family. The loss of loved ones. On some level, he understood how Toph felt better than most. “Toph’s parents still haven’t entirely forgiven her for leaving home. They still refuse to see her academy, and they refuse to admit that she’s one of the strongest Earthbenders in the world. I don’t think she wants anything other than their respect and love.”

The love of his life turned away, ashamed at her own reaction to the situation. “You’re right.” She shook her head. “But you usually are.”

“Comes with the territory,” he replied, grinning to lighten the mood. Aang stood and offered her his hand. “Come on. Let’s get some rest.”

As Katara’s soft fingers slipped over his own, she asked, “Do you think she’s lonely? I mean… Sokka has Suki, and Zuko has Mai… I have you…”

“Maybe,” he said. “But we’re a bit too old to go around setting her up with suitors. I don’t think she’d appreciate it, anyway. She’s pretty picky.” Aang laughed as he helped Katara to her feet. She was light, always had been. Light and strong and so, so beautiful. Even now, with her hair disheveled from a long day of work and her blue dress rumpled, she was stunning.

“Another point for being right.”

He pulled her close, leaning down to kiss her. The kiss was quick, soft. “Enough about Toph, my love. You’ve been working hard lately.”

“So have you,” she said, jabbing his chest with her finger.

Aang smirked. “I’m not the one with messy hair, though.”

“Hey!”

He chuckled and pulled her toward their bedroom. “Come on. Time to relax.”

Katara followed with a quirked eyebrow. “Oh? And how do you plan to get me to relax, oh mighty Avatar?”

He tried to ignore the way her voice dipped, tried not to think about how she knew just the right words to make him want to kiss every inch of her body and praise her until the sun rose.

Tonight, Aang wanted to give his lovely girlfriend a time to remember. He’d been practicing some new waterbending forms, and now that they finally had a moment alone, he was determined to show them to her. He hummed and lightly pushed her back onto the bed before bending some water from the basin nearby. He wrapped it around Katara’s temples, urging her to relax.

She sighed, leaning into the water’s touch. “Oh, that’s nice.”

“I learned from the best,” he replied as the water started to glow. He still struggled to use water to heal at times, but he was getting better at it.

She hummed, cracking an eye at him before relaxing further into the water’s embrace. He moved the water down from her temples to the back of her neck and shoulders. It took dexterity and a lot of training to use waterbending for massage therapy, but Aang knew Katara preferred it over his hands.

As he worked her muscles loose, he guided one tendril down into the nape of her top. It slipped over her flawless skin, down toward her nipple. When the tendril of water wrapped around her breast and nipple, she gasped.

“Feel good?” he asked, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Keep going.”

Aang was more than happy to oblige. He guided another tendril of the water to her other breast and slowly worked her nipples until they were hard, pert, and sensitive. The entire time, he continued to use the majority of the water to massage her shoulders and neck, rolling it soothingly over her sore muscles.

Soft kisses trailed over her cheek and to her jaw.

He guided the tendril around her left breast lower, trailing it beneath her clothes without wetting them. Over her firm, tight stomach and down, down, down to between her thighs, he led it.

Katara tensed, a little surprised, as he guided the water beneath her underclothes and between her folds. He focused on the clitoris, rolling the water over it again and again. More trickled down to toy with her abandoned nipple, and Katara gasped. She arched backward, toward him, eyes rolling closed.

“How’s that?” he whispered, kissing his way up her jaw and to her lips.

“G-good.” The word was barely uttered without cracking apart. She groaned as she tried to roll her hips down to meet the water. “More. Please, Aang.  _ More. _ ”

He inhaled sharply, his cock throbbing and twitching at the pure, raw  _ need _ in her voice. She tried to hump downward, but he kept her sitting and pulled more water toward them. The water wrapped around her thighs, spreading them apart while keeping her immobile as he worked her clitoris at a torturously slow pace.

She groaned in frustration, and it was the prettiest sound he had ever heard.

Water rolled between them, and he breathed a little heat into it with firebending to help enhance the experience.

Katara moaned, her head finally lolling back to rest on his shoulder. “Faster. Please, faster. It feels so-- _ ah! _ \--so good.”

He groaned softly, focusing on the water working her clitoris. The water around her nipples tightened, turning to ice briefly before melting away to water again.

She cried out, her entire body rocking forward.

But she hadn’t orgasmed. Not yet. He knew his sweet girl, and she was close, but she wasn’t  _ quite _ there yet.

Aang focused on bending a thick cylinder of liquid. As he continued to rub water over her clit and across her nipples, freezing the water and thawing it just as quickly, he pushed the cylinder into her vagina.

She moaned, a shiver rolling through her as she fell to pieces at the penetration.

In and out he thrust the column of water, working her open until her eyes were glassy and she all but drooled in his arms. The sensual rhythm he’d built increased, faster and faster until she trembled with every thrust and touch of the water. He used it to stroke her inside and out, to roam her body and ignite every inch of her flesh.

Her legs curled upward, and she gasped, crying out as he hit that sweet, singing spot inside her.

“Aang! Oh, Aang! M-more! Please, more! Don’t stop! So… so close! Ah! There! There!”

Her pleas collapsed into little fragments as he worked her faster and harder with the water before tilting her chin up to capture her lips. Aang rubbed his aching cock against the small of her back, straining for his own relief so he could concentrate on her. Pleasure bubbled in his groin, sharp and heady and wonderful. He gasped into her mouth as she cried out again, and the pressure around the water inside her tightened as she finally orgasmed.

One orgasm pulsed through her, and then another quickly after. Aang kept working her until she twitched with oversensitivity, and he finally pulled the water away before returning it to the basin. They’d change it out in the morning.

She collapsed against him, chest heaving. Sweat rolled down her temples and pricked at her hairline.

“That was...  _ incredible, _ ” she gasped. “When… when did you learn to… to do that?”

He chuckled and pulled her close, kissing every inch he could reach. She was still fully dressed, but she wouldn’t be for long. Katara hated being hot.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. You deserve the world, Katara.”

She reached up and cupped his cheek with a trembling hand. “You  _ are _ my world, Aang.”

His heart melted at those words. “I love you so much.”

“Mm. I love you, too. Now roll over. It’s your turn.”


	6. Love is Tender in So Many Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun to write. I hope you enjoy the humor! I wanted to show a bit of Katara's competitive spirit here, and it led into a pretty cute moment, I think~
> 
> Squick warning: Mentions of saliva-bending, mild BDSM (nothing all that extreme)

Aang smirked and rolled onto his back. He chuckled and wiggled his hips, trying to tease Katara into removing his pants. “My turn, huh?”

She scoffed and rolled those pretty blue eyes before straddling him, effectively pinning him in place. “Where did you learn to do that?” She was still breathless, her skin covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

Seeing her in such a state made him  _ proud. _ He had done that. He had given her such pleasure that she trembled while pinning him down. Aang hummed and lightly pushed his fingers under her clothes. She shook under his touch. The hint wasn’t subtle. He wanted her clothes off. Times like this, where they could be together and be intimate with one another, happened more and more often, but he still never felt like it was enough. Aang craved her touch, yearned for the soft kisses she saved just for him. Besides, he never knew when one of them would be called away to handle something.

And yes, maybe-- _ maybe-- _ he was a little impatient. The aching need for her had spread from his groin, burning through every limb. He could nearly feel the yearning for her in his fingertips if he focused hard enough. Watching her come undone under his fingers and lips was wonderful, but seeing what he could accomplish with bending? That had ignited a hot fire in his blood, and he craved  _ more. _

“Can we call it an Avatar secret and leave it at that?” he murmured as he rubbed soothing circles into her skin with his thumbs.

Katara huffed a soft laugh before tugging her top off and tossing it aside. With the warmer weather, she didn’t wear much in the way of underclothes. Sometimes she wore a brassiere, but those occasions were rare in the heat of late summer. Today, she had gone without, and Aang couldn’t be happier.

He cupped one heavy breast and let out a soft sigh. Even though he wanted to hump up against her to relieve the ache in his groin, he held back, content with just the skin-against-skin contact. Just this was enough. Just  _ Katara _ was enough--and not enough at the same time. He wanted more, but he could and would always settle for this. Just the heavy weight of her breast against his palm, the softness of her skin against his own.

It always made him  _ want _ and  _ crave _ , but it also always made him so content and happy.

Being in love could be so confusing.

He leaned up and pressed his lips to the inner curve of her breast, kissing down her dark, flawless skin toward a darker nipple. He had praised her body more times than he could count. Again, though, he always wanted to give her more of himself. Aang wanted her to feel good, to know deep in her core how much he adored and loved her.

“Thought I was gonna take care of you,” she whispered. Her fingers slid up to hold the back of his head as he sucked on her nipple.

It rolled and perked up, hardening between his lips. He bit down gently, careful not to bite her too hard. While Katara didn’t mind bites elsewhere, this was the one spot she generally didn’t prefer them.

“I can’t help myself. You’re so perfect.”

Katara gently pushed him away. “It’s my turn, Aang. Besides, you already got me once. Let me make you feel good, too.” There was a hint of competitive fire to her words. No doubt she’d try using the same technique he had.

Aang would be lying if he said the thought didn’t turn him on. He loved it when katara got competitive like this. The sex was always fantastic when she tried new things.

He relaxed into the pillows and hoisted his hips up so she could pull his pants down. “All right, all right. I’m definitely not gonna complain about that.”

“Good.”

She tucked the hem of his pants beneath his balls, and he shivered at the sudden wash of warm air over his most sensitive and intimate area. He shaved most of his body; the first time he’d taken to cleaning away the hair around his groin, he’d done it mostly out of habit. Over time, though, he’d found he liked being groomed and kept shaving.

Katara liked him shaven, too, and she told him often, though not always with words.

Tonight was no exception. Soft fingers slipped low to cup his balls, working them until they were warm and soft again.

Aang leaned back further, relaxing into her touch and trusting her like no other.

No one else could make him feel this way. Even when he masturbated, it wasn’t the same. Katara held an almost otherworldly power of him, and he was more than happy to let her do as she pleased. Her touch alone melted away his insecurities and fear. Kisses chased bad dreams about Fire Lord Ozai or the countless other people who had tried--and failed--to end the Avatar. She was his salvation and his serenity, and he gave into her completely.

Then water, cooler than her fingers, wrapped around his balls.

Aang yelped and jerked upright, shocked by the sudden chill. “Katara! That’s cold!”

She stopped bending, surprised. Water sloshed to the bedding, soaking through the furs and blankets. A snort, followed by another, and she doubled over laughing.

“It’s not funny,” he whined, cupping himself. His balls had pulled away, constricting and tightening unpleasantly. “That was way too cold.” His poor erection had started to fall flaccid, too.  _ Not fair. _

“I’m… I’m so sorry,” she said between laughs. “I didn’t mean--I mean, when you did it, it felt so good!” Another bout of laughter. “I thought--I thought you’d like it, too!”

“I heated the water with firebending,” he complained, blushing furiously. “And--and my balls aren’t the same as your nipples when it comes to ice! They don’t--it doesn’t feel  _ good _ !”

“That wasn’t ice!” She devolved into more howling laughter, rolling off of him and clutching her stomach. “I just grabbed some water from the basin!”

He pouted and tucked himself away before bending the water out of the bedding and his clothes. He guided it back to the basin to be dumped in the morning. “Just--don’t do it again, okay? Not there, anyway. It’s too cold for that.”

Room-temperature water was  _ definitely _ too cold for his balls and cock. Especially when he was so turned on! It had been like getting covered in snow!

She wiped the tears from her eyes and rested a hand on his chest. “Okay, okay. That’s fair. Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he grumbled, leaning back and sulking.

“Are you still in the mood?”

“What do you think?” he asked, scowling.

She just barked another laugh before kissing away his scowl. “Grumpy.” Her hand slid lower before cupping his half-hard cock. “I bet I can improve your mood, though.”

He pouted harder. Yeah, he was definitely trying to get his way a little, but that was how they were sometimes. When it was just the two of them, he could get away with being a bit of a brat. “Fine. Just… no cold water.”

“No cold water,” she agreed, shifting so she was between his legs. “How about something warmer?” With that, she tugged his pants down again, glancing at him as she did. She was waiting for him to decline.

Aang simply spread his thighs to give her more room.

Katara took the invitation for what it was and lay down between his legs. She fished his cock and balls out again, but instead of using waterbending as she had before, she wrapped her lips around his right testicle and lightly began sucking.

_ Oh. _

Yeah, that was much better. Much, much better.

Heat swirled around his balls, and he groaned when she opened her lips wider and sucked his other testicle into her mouth. Aang’s eyes rolled back, and he clutched the bedding, gasping softly when her tongue darted beneath his balls. Pleasure sung through him.

She was good at this. Hadn’t always been, but neither had he. They’d learned together, figured out their likes and dislikes  _ together. _ But this was easily one of his favorite moves. He loved it when she sucked his balls. It was like she was praising them wordlessly, showing him how much she adored him and his body.

He sighed through his nose, the tension melting from his muscles.

As she worked his balls in her mouth, gently putting pressure on them with her tongue and sucking by hollowing her cheeks, she did something else.

Her right hand made small, tight motions, and soon, he felt her saliva moving around his testicles in a way that had sparklers going off inside his mind. Heat flowered and unfurled in his gut, and he reached down to grip the base of his hard cock.  _ More. _ He wanted more friction, more pleasure. This was definitely a step up, but it wasn’t enough.

She pushed his hands away, though. When he tried to grab himself again, she gave a wicked smirk, lips still around his balls, and drew water from the basin.

Aang tensed, nervous at what she was planning to do with it. This time, though, she used it to secure him to the bed. He couldn’t touch his dick, no matter how desperately he wanted to.

“Katara,” he whined, breathless and panting as she kept sucking and licking. “Katara,  _ please. _ Please let me… I need it.”

His cock bobbed between them, flushed red and hard. In just a matter of a few minutes, she had him all but begging for more. The chill of her earlier attempt at arousing him was long forgotten. In its place was a boiling warmth that Aang had come to associate with the love of his life. She held firm, even as he pleaded with her to release him so he could stroke himself.

He hadn’t said their safe word yet, so she continued on. Every suck, every lick, was aimed at building his pleasure. Not once did she touch his cock, though. The pleasure building along it was so intense--and yet so far away from being properly ignited by touch. The shaft rubbed over her cheek, and Aang gasped. He tried tilting his hips. If he could just angle himself the right way, then he could get the tip to--yes! Oh, yes! Right there!

He moaned as the tip of his cock barely brushed over his face. The graze sparked inside him, making his cock jump at the contact. When he tried again, though, she shifted, changing the angle and removing the stimulation.

A full, pleading whine broke from his chest. “P-please! Katara,  _ please _ !”

It was all he could manage to voice. He needed friction! Couldn’t she understand? This wasn’t enough! It felt great, but it just wasn’t  _ enough! _ Still, she didn’t give in, focusing only on sucking on his testicles and working her saliva and tongue across and under them. She built him higher and higher, until the need for friction all but burned straight to his core. He almost screamed, almost begged with tears in his eyes for her to take him.

Just as a jumbled plea broke from his lips, she released his balls. In a single swift movement, she swallowed his aching cock whole.

Heat. Blessed heat. Wetness. A soft tongue roaming. Exploring. Touching. Stimulating. Deeper. She pushed him deeper.

She swallowed.

Aang cried out as her throat constricted around his throbbing dick. His hips stuttered upward, and his eyes rolled back as the pleasure welling inside him broke at long last. White-hot intensity raged through him. His balls lifted, tense and hot and unyielding as he came into her mouth and down that warm, tight throat.

Sound stopped. Everything went still. High-pitched ringing filled his ears as his hips finally came to rest on the sweat-dampened bedding.

Katara sucked until he twitched from oversensitivity.

“Ah-Appa!” he shouted, using their safe word to get her to stop.

She pulled off and kissed the tip of his drooping dick. As she sat up, she guided the water from his wrists and the spit from her chin and his balls back into the basin.

Katara smiled down at him, warm and loving. She rested a hand on his chest to help ground him. The touch was almost too much. It helped, though. It helped him focus and come back to the room.

A shiver rolled through him at the pressure of his hand against his chest. His skin sang. He was still mostly clothed, and the cotton and silk irked his skin. It would fade soon, though, and he took comfort in that.

“Think you’ve got another one in you?” she murmured against his neck as she laid down beside him.

Aang’s eyes drifted shut. He yawned and pulled her close, ignoring the sensitive tremors them touching caused. “Probably not tonight. You practically pulled my spirit out of my dick.”

She laughed, softer this time. “Fair enough. Good night, Aang. I love you.”

“Love you too, Katara. Sweet dreams.” After a tender kiss to her forehead, Aang let his eyes drift shut.  _ I love you more than anything. _


	7. We are One in the Chamber of Sunlight and Air

**Several months later**

Spring.

Aang closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh smell of flowers and rich air moist with promise and last night’s rain. Spring was his favorite time of year, the time of year where everything was new and bright and full of potential. He’d always seen the various seasons as reflections of the four elements, and he had always associated spring with airbending. This was his time, his season, and he found himself deeply thankful for the chance to celebrate his wedding on such a gorgeous day.

He adjusted the collar of his ceremonial Air Nomad robe, smiling at the way the oranges and yellows highlighted his inner joy. Gold thread embellished the cuffs and edges of his robe, an unusual twist to the traditional style, but one he found he rather liked. Today was going to be the best day of his life. Well, the best day since Katara had found him in the iceberg. He still counted that among his favorites.

Fire Lord Zuko huffed a soft laugh as he helped Aang finish adjusting his silk robes and tied the remaining sashes into place. “Can’t believe you two are finally getting married. It’s about time.”

“We wanted to make sure the world was headed toward peace first,” Aang admitted. That was the main reason they’d waited so long.

Other things had been at play, resulting in the delay of their wedding, but he didn’t count those as problems. They were simply obstacles that he and Katara had expected. Ensuring everyone was in the area to view the ceremony had proven difficult, especially since he and Katara were being married at the Southern Air Temple. Getting everyone there had been… a struggle, to say the least. Even though he and Katara had agreed on a small, intimate wedding, they had still invited nearly a hundred people. Everyone in attendance was either family or friends they had met during their journeys. Others, such as the Earth King and the Northern Water Tribe Chief, were dignitaries and guests who Aang might have preferred not attend, but…

Well, this wasn’t just about him and Katara. No matter how much he wanted it to be, today was about more than the two of them. He was the Avatar, and as such, his wedding had to be more-or-less public. People in the news media industry were present to paint images of them and write about the wedding for commoners to feel as if they’d been present. This was a step forward; their wedding was meant to be proof that the world was headed toward peace and prosperity. If he and Katara felt comfortable enough to get married, then that meant the world could breathe easy once more.

He hoped that would stay the case.

Aang shifted uncomfortably and adjusted the cuffs of his robes.

“You always were more concerned about everyone else’s well-being,” Zuko replied with a soft smile. He was taller than Aang still, but not by much. The last several years had done him a great kindness in aging. His cheekbones were sharp and angular, and the baby fat he’d retained as a teenager had finally faded from his jaw. He wore his golden fire emblem piece with pride rather than uncertainty, and the way he carried himself was different. He was finally the Fire Lord through and through.

Time and knowledge had helped him fill his role to perfection, and Aang was truly proud to see how much his friend had matured.

“Have you heard back from King Kuei about our proposal for Cranefish Town?”

“You mean Republic City?” asked Zuko with a smirk.

Aang’s eyes widened. “Did the council agree?”

Zuko held his hands up, forestalling any further discussion. Red silk sleeves slid down his strong forearms. “Trust me, Aang, there’ll be plenty of time after your wedding to worry about all that. Today is about you, not them.”

He opened his mouth, ready to retort when a knock sounded on the door.

“Come in,” said Zuko, cutting Aang off before he could protest.

The door opened and Sokka stepped inside. He wore traditional Water Tribe garb. Dyed furs and soft leather covered most of his body. His shirt was elaborate and sleeveless, despite the early spring chill that clung to the air. Traditional tattoos decorated his biceps, stark against his dark skin. His hair had been combed back and braided into a long wolftail. Feathers and beads were woven into his locks, and his thin beard had been recently trimmed and shaped.

Like Zuko, age had done him many favors. Where he’d been gangly and awkward when he and Aang had first met, now Sokka was tall, lean, and strong with wide shoulders and narrow hips. He was pure muscle, and had been for quite some time. Training and teaching others in his tribe how to fight with both boomerang and sword had kept him in good shape.

“You ready yet, Aang?” he asked.

“Yeah. I think so.” Still, he fidgeted with his silks.

Zuko rolled his amber eyes. “You look fine. Come on. Can’t keep your bride waiting.”

Before following the other men from the chambers, Aang lifted a parcel wrapped in fine silk. He’d learned from Sokka that gifts were often traded before the ceremony in Water Tribe culture. The Water Tribe didn’t have many wedding traditions, and no dowry was given with Katara. Zuko had commented about how odd that seemed, but Sokka had countered that in the Water Tribe, the point of a marriage was stability and ensuring the continuation of the culture and village as a whole, not gaining money or land. Those things were, in a sense, useless on the tundra.

Other traditions played a key role in maintaining household stability within the Water Tribe, though Aang was less fond of the thought of abiding by them. For example, Katara could ask to be exchanged with someone else’s wife if she liked. Fights could be resolved by her simply choosing to be with someone else. The thought alone made Aang’s blood boil.

_ She wouldn’t do that. _ He was sure of it. He knew deep down he never would, either. Katara was it for him. She was the love of his life, and he would do everything in his power to stay beside her. He’d put a lot of thought and time into proposing to her in the first place, and he didn’t want to lose her for any reason.

When he’d proposed, he hadn’t done so with the traditional Water Tribe engagement necklace. He’d considered making her one, but the more he’d thought about it, the more he knew it would be the wrong thing to do. Katara was never without her mother’s necklace, and he couldn’t imagine ever wanting her to choose between that and one he’d made. That wasn’t a fair choice.

So, Aang had done something different.

He’d proposed with engraved beads for her hair loopies and a long, thin ivory hair needle. He’d spent hours carving fine details into the ivory hair needle and glittering aquamarine beads before presenting them to her. Ribbons of fine silk dripped from the beads like ice and water. He had wanted to give her something when asking her to marry him, and the second he’d shown the beads and needle to her, she’d broken into tears and accepted his proposal.

Now, as Aang followed Zuko and Sokka down one of the wide, airy halls of the Southern Air Temple, he couldn’t help smiling at the memory. She had worn the beads and hair needle he’d made ever since, and it warmed his soul to see her put them in her hair every morning.

The gift in his hands, though, was something for her father and family. It was a small token, considering how much Katara meant to him, but he couldn’t imagine anything that would be truly worth her hand in his mind. She was everything to him, and he simply couldn’t give her family  _ everything  _ in return.

Besides, he was an Air Nomad, a monk. Owning items wasn’t his way. Material things were replaceable--at least for the most part--and he didn’t truly own anything that felt worthy enough for the occasion. So, he’d made something. He’d put as much love and time into this gift as he had his proposal jewelry, and he hoped Hakoda would see the effort and accept the token.

Sokka and Zuko paused before ancient ornate doors. The wood was cracked and scarred from age, but the deep carvings still displayed the art of his culture.

“You ready?” he asked.

Aang inhaled a slow, deep breath before nodding.

Zuko gripped his shoulder. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” he replied.

With that, Sokka pushed the doors open. They creaked and groaned under their own weight, and bright sunlight flowed through the opening from the chamber within. Birds fluttered across the room, headed for the open windows that peered out over the swirling clouds and mountaintops.

People rose from their places on makeshift wooden benches and turned toward him. Katara wasn’t in the room yet, but that was to be expected.

Across from Aang was another door, and it opened, revealing Katara, Toph, and Suki.

Aang almost dropped to his knees.

A pale blue gown made of soft, cured hides and lined with thick, white fur trailed down Katara’s body. Long sleeves draped to the ground, and her hair, like Sokka’s, was wound and woven in a traditional fashion. The beads and needle Aang had gifted her pinned her hair in just the right places, showing off the beautiful ribbons.

She wore light makeup, making her all but glow in the light of the chamber. He almost missed the small package in her hands, wrapped in deep blue silk with a glimmering ivory carving dangling from it.

“Better breathe before you pass out,” said Zuko, nudging him.

Aang inhaled sharply, pink coloring his cheeks. She had literally stolen his breath, and he hoped she would continue to steal it for the rest of their days together.

He stepped forward, entering the chamber at the same time she did. Zuko and Sokka fell in line behind him, as did Suki and Toph when Katara strode forward.

If people spoke, Aang didn’t hear them. The only person he was focused on was Katara. She moved like water, her gown trailing behind her like a happy summer stream. The moon embellishment on the front of her dress glimmered when sunlight caught the small stones. They glittered like fresh snowfall.

At last, the two of them reached the center of the chamber. Zuko and Sokka took their seats, Toph and Suki following suit.

Hakoda stepped forward and smiled at the two of them before addressing the crowd. “Friends, family, and respected guests, I address you as both Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe and as the bride’s father on this day. Today is a day for celebration and joy. After countless years of growing peace, thanks to the Avatar’s efforts--and those of my children and numerous others--we are finally experiencing an era of peace unlike any we’ve witnessed in more than a hundred years.”

He held his hands out, palms up. Much like Sokka, he was dressed in traditional Water Tribe attire, the furs and beads catching the sunlight brilliantly. “In the Water Tribe, it is traditional for families to exchange gifts to commemorate a union. Aang, if you could present your gift.”

Aang forced himself to breathe again. He’d barely heard anything Hakoda had said, his entire attention solely on Katara. Still, he lifted his gift and bowed, offering it to her. “As an Air Nomad, I don’t have much to give aside from my eternal love and promise of loyalty and devotion to you, Katara of the Southern Water Tribe,” he said. “But please accept this small token as my gift to you and your family. I hope you will find it, and me, worthy.”

Katara’s voice broke through the soft calm. “Thank you, Aang. My father will accept your gift on my behalf.”

Aang placed the parcel in Hakoda’s outstretched hand.

It wasn’t much, truly it wasn’t. A wooden necklace, made in traditional Air Nomad fashion. He’d spent hours carving it and making the wooden beads round and smooth. It resembled the one Monk Gyatso had worn so long ago, the mark of a full-fledged airbender.

Truly, it was the only thing he could think of to offer. And, in a way, it felt his Gyatso was here with them. His heart swelled at the thought.

Hakoda accepted the gift without opening the package. That would be done later, in the privacy of their chambers. The exchange was the formal part.

“Katara, please present your gift,” Hakoda said, turning to her.

Katara lifted her parcel as well. “In my culture, wealth isn’t measured by how much money you have or how great your land is. It’s measured in family and love and food.” She smiled. “I offer you these gifts, as well as this small token of my love, Avatar Aang.”

“Thank you, Katara,” he said, voice choked with emotion. Had there been other airbenders, he would have asked the most esteemed monk to accept the gift for him, but… “Your father will accept this gift on my behalf.”  _ Family isn’t just within culture, _ he reminded himself. Hakoda was as much a father figure to him as Monk Gyatso had been. A different father figure, to be sure, but one nonetheless.

Hakoda accepted the gift in his other hand. “The exchange is complete. Please take one another’s hands.”

Aang held his out. They shook, but when Katara took them in hers, the trembling ceased.

She smiled at him, and he back at her.

“You are wed, and you are one.”

The chamber erupted into applause and cheers. Still, the only thing Aang could do was smile at his lovely bride.

_ We are one. _

It was all he had ever wanted, all he could have ever asked for.

Katara beamed at Aang as Sokka shouted, “Party time, people! If you head over to the east chamber, we have food and drink! Let’s get cah-ray-zee! Awoo-awoo!”

Aang laughed as he pulled Katara into his arms. “I love you,” he whispered into her hair. She smelled like snow and spring flowers.

“I love you as the moon loves the ocean,” she replied. “Endlessly and without restraint.”

Tears pricked his eyes, and he held her tighter.

Under the warmth of the golden sunlight of spring, in the halls of his childhood home, Aang felt entirely at peace. This was their continuation and their beginning, the balance he’d always sought to find with her. It was there, in that moment, bright and beautiful and so full of love and warmth.

His heart overflowed with joy, and he let the tears slide free.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I spent quite a bit of time researching Inuit culture to get a sense of weddings and ceremonies, since the Water Tribe is so heavily based on their culture and traditions. Of course, I made some minor adjustments to the ceremony, but I wanted to do my best to pay homage to the traditions shown in ATLA (the engagement necklace, for example) while pulling from our world for inspiration. I hope I was able to do so respectfully.
> 
>  **CW: Legend of Korra spoilers:** I know that Legend of Korra shows a Southern Water Tribe wedding, but since it takes place so far in the future, I sort of see it as a wedding of blended cultures rather than one purely Water Tribe in origin. While I imagine that most Water Tribe weddings take place under a full moon, I also like to think that Katara and Aang opted to celebrate during the day to reflect the warmth of their union. I definitely took some creative liberty here, and I hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	8. A Whisper of the Past to Soothe the Spirit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: mild angst
> 
> This chapter is pretty heavy in the emotional department, just a heads up. Not in a bad way, but...
> 
> This chapter shows one thing that I really, really felt the series needed--that _Aang_ needed--but never truly got. This chapter is... honestly pretty close to my soul, because it offers the personal closure the animated series never gave Aang in the way he actually needed to get it (IMO, of course, so this is a little selfish of me, I guess).
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. :) Thanks for reading!

The festivities ran into the following morning, ending just before dawn. People drank and ate to excess; even Aang couldn’t help overeating just a little. Sea prunes stuffed with pale white soft cheese and coated in sugar were his favorites, and he’d even made--with the help of the Air Acolytes--some fruit pies. The recipe was one he’d grown up with, the one Monk Gyatso had taught him, and he’d been thrilled beyond words to pass it on to others.

It was almost like the Air Nomads were there, celebrating with him. _Almost._ But not quite. Still, it was better than nothing, and he indulged in how much their guests enjoyed the pies. None remained by the time their guests headed off to sleep.

At last, he and Katara fell into their bed. Her arms looped around him, and she giggled before sighing and falling asleep against his side. Her breathing evened out, becoming soft and slow.

Aang ran his fingers through her long, dark hair. He hadn’t drunk much alcohol. He’d never really liked the taste of it, if he was honest. He would drink sometimes with his friends, but rarely did he get drunk in front of strangers or acquaintances. He’d drunk the one drink Hakoda had given him, taking his time to consume it slowly to ensure he wasn’t given _more_ to drink. His head spun a little from the heavy fermented polar dogbear milk. Music and festivities, the dancing and singing and story-telling, still rang in his head.

The celebration had been nothing if not monumental. It had been almost perfect.

A large part of him mourned the fact that his Air Nomad family couldn’t be present for his wedding, and now that he was alone, the mourning became nearly unthinkable. An unbearable ache spread across his chest.

He was the reason they weren’t here. In his mind, even after so many years, he blamed himself for not being home to help his people fend off the Fire Nation’s attacks.

He considered letting Katara rest so he could meditate. Maybe it would help. He still struggled to access the spirit world at times, but he had long improved from a few years ago. For the most part, he could commune with spirits who dwelled on the earthly plain. He’d never been able to contact Gyatso or other Air Nomads, though. Well, none save his past Avatar lives--and that wasn’t even remotely the same.

_It would be nice to talk to someone. Anyone._

Even if he was only able to contact Yangchen, he wanted to try reaching out. Maybe he’d finally be able to contact one of his people. It was a long shot, but he had to try. They were in his childhood home, after all. If Air Nomad spirits still wandered this plain, this would be the best place to access them.

Aang inhaled a deep breath before gingerly rolling Katara off of him. He tucked her into a comfortable position and kissed her temple. “I’ll be back soon, my love.”

After ensuring she was still deep asleep, he slipped from the chambers.

Early morning sunlight filtered through the silent halls of the Southern Air Temple. The sun was still low, long shadows cast by the mountains surrounding the temple. He stayed far away from where guests were sleeping, not wanting to disturb anyone as he made his way up toward an old courtyard. It was one he knew well, one where the master airbenders of his temple’s Council of Elders gathered to commune with the spirits and with their forefathers.

A cool mist clung to the sides of the mountains and masonry, trailing him as he crossed the courtyard. He swore some part of him heard whispering, but he shook the feeling away.

This was a sacred, spiritual place. It made sense that the spirits who touched the world here might be talking. Some might even have been past airbenders who had been the Avatar. Others…

He could only hope others were his people, waiting for him to reach out to them.

Aang sank to the ground in the center of the courtyard. It was fairly clean, all things considered. In the weeks leading up to their wedding, he and Katara--as well as their friends and a few Air Acolytes--had come out here to clean and restore parts of the temple. Certain places could never be fully restored, such as the areas where the Fire Nation had blown apart walls and parts of the mountain, but they’d managed to clear away the rubble and debris around most of the well-travelled spots.

This courtyard had been one such place. The only area Aang had refused to touch was where Monk Gyatso had made his final stand. He couldn’t bear even visiting it. The pain was too much to handle.

Even now, as he closed his eyes and tried to quell the trembling anger and ache in his chest, he couldn’t bear to lay eyes on it. Even thinking about his friend’s final resting place made his hands shake and hot tears prick his eyes.

He swallowed back his heavy sorrow and focused his attention on attaining spiritual enlightenment. It wasn’t an easy process. It never had been, not even for him. Sometimes the process of finding his center came easier, but he’d come out here knowing that wouldn’t be the case today.

He was still riled up, still filled with emotion and the turbulence of his marriage. Still weighted by the absence of his people’s presence. But he couldn’t _not_ try. To not try was to admit that his people were entirely gone. It was admitting that he couldn’t even touch their imprints or their spirits. It was--

“Hello, Aang.”

He yelped and almost fell over, eyes wide.

Before him sat Monk Gyatso. He was pale blue, an echo of his imprint on this world. His frail shoulders were square, his posture perfect. His hands rested in his lap, and he smiled warmly at Aang from under his pale moustache.

“Monk Gyatso,” whispered Aang. Hot tears brimmed in his eyes as he sat up and leaned forward, as if he could touch the apparition of his friend.

His fingers flitted through nothing, and his heart shattered again.

He truly was gone, then. But he was here, too. Here and gone at the same time. It was such a powerful, confusing emotion, knowing that he’d finally managed to reach out to Gyatso only to be unable to hug him.

A choked sob broke in his chest.

“Be calm, my student,” said Gyatso. “Allow yourself to mourn. It has been a long time.”

“Too long,” he whispered hoarsely. “I miss you. So, so much. All of you. Even Monk Tashi.” He gave a rough, pained laugh at the memory of the older monk, the one who’d insisted Aang needed to leave to learn how to access his Avatar state.

That earned a soft chuckle from Gyatso. “He was never as fair to you as I’d hoped he would be, but he did love you, in his own way.”

Aang’s bitter, aching laugh turned into a smile, but it felt strained and full of the pain he’d been holding onto since he’d first come here. He decided to change the subject, to share the joy of his marriage with his teacher. That was why he’d reached out, after all. “I was married last night.”

“Oh? Tell me about her.”

That was what he’d been hoping he’d hear. He’d wanted to tell Gyatso about Katara for years now, but he’d never been able to forge a strong enough connection to reach out to his favorite teacher and old friend. Now that he had, he wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.

“She’s Water Tribe,” he said softly. “An incredible woman, the best waterbender I’ve ever seen.” His smile softened and became real and honest as he spoke, describing Katara and the life they’d shared since meeting so many years ago. He told Gyatso everything, from waking in the iceberg to defeating the Fire Lord and winning the war in his own way--without taking life.

As he spoke, telling Gyatso about his life since being woken up, the monk listened with silent intensity. He was respectful, taking in everything Aang offered as the sun slowly climbed higher into the sky.

“And now… well, we’re… we’re married. We’re finally married.”

The conversation petered off into silence.

“She sounds lovely,” said Gyatso, giving Aang his usual warm, loving smile. “I am so glad you found someone who helps you achieve the best in yourself, Aang.”

“I…” His throat tightened as tears welled in his eyes. “I didn’t…”

“You didn’t? But it sounds to me like you did.”

“No, it’s not… not her. Not that.” He shook his head, shoulders slumping. The weight of his guilt laid him low, pushing him toward the stone courtyard ground, as if it might swallow him whole.

Sunlight peeked over the rooftop, bathing the courtyard behind him in warmth. He wasn’t sure how long Gyatso would stay with him, and he knew he had something he had to say, but the words were locked in his chest. They refused to come out. Admitting them was admitting his part in everything that had happened to his people. It was admitting his guilt and his blame. Admitting that he could have-- _should have--_ saved them.

But he needed to speak before his chance was lost. After all, he’d been trying to commune with Gyatso for _years._ There was no telling when he’d be able to actually break through to his friend again--or if he’d ever have another chance.

“I’m sorry,” Aang blurted. The words cascaded from his lips like a spray of boiling geyser water. “I’m so sorry.”

“What are you sorry for, Aang?” Gyatso asked softly.

“For… for running away. For not being here when you needed me the most. For… for being a coward.” Despite Pathik’s guidance in opening his chakras, Aang had still held onto the guilt and grief in other ways. He knew how to let them go to achieve the Avatar state, but that didn’t mean they were gone entirely. They’d festered under his skin, deep inside his soul, an ache he could never be fully rid of, but one he wished to salve over, even if only to soothe it.

This, though…

He’d needed this, sought this, for so, so long.

He didn’t know what he was looking for, just that he had to speak from his heart and explain what he could. Maybe Gyatso would understand. Maybe he wouldn’t. Aang opened his eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks to drip onto his lap. “I’m sorry I left. I should have stayed. I should have helped. I _could_ have helped you.”

“Aang, what’s done is done,” said Gyatso. His voice was firm, but held a tenderness Aang hadn’t expected. “You were a child, barely twelve. I see now why you were told your destiny at such a young age. Without that knowledge, you never would have run off. You never would have been frozen, and the world would have certainly been lost for all. The war would have ended before it truly started.” Gyatso leaned forward, attempting to peer into Aang’s eyes.

Behind Aang, the sun crept closer, the shadow of the temple slowly fading from the courtyard. Birds sang. Monkeys chittered in the trees.

“Your destiny was chosen long before you were born, my friend. You should not blame yourself for what the spirits and destiny had--and still have--in store for you. Our deaths are not final. Our peace has been found. I only want you to find yours.”

Aang wiped his eyes, sniffling. He didn’t want to hear forgiveness and understanding. He wanted… he didn’t know _what_ he wanted, but Monk Gyatso being understanding and forgiving him wasn’t it. Maybe some part of him hoped for anger or hurt or betrayal. Maybe he felt like he deserved it.

“You’re not angry?” he whispered.

“How could I be angry with you?” asked Gyatso. “Aang, you saved the world, and in doing so, you lost so much.” He rested a ghostly hand over Aang’s chest, though there was no true contact. “You must forgive yourself. _Truly_ forgive yourself. I cannot do this for you. All I can offer is my understanding and my thanks for what good you have accomplished. Look around yourself, Aang. We are not lost.” He pulled his hand away and gestured to the clean, sunlit courtyard.

“We can never be lost as long as you pass on our teachings,” he continued. “And where there is a vacuum, there is opportunity for growth and renewal. You are taking the first steps. What comes next is up to you, but it is no less important. I encourage you to find your center and rekindle your inner balance. You have suffered great losses, and now it is time for you to accept them and move forward.”

Sunlight broke across Aang’s shoulders, creeping down his chest and toward his lap. Inch by inch, it moved closer to Gyatso’s spirit.

“You will never be without me, Aang. Remember that your inner balance is sacred and important. Once you find inner balance, the world will find true peace. The world’s peace is reflected in yours.”

“How can I--?” Aang looked up in time to see the sunlight breaking Gyatso’s spirit into fractals. His time was up. “Thank you, Gyatso.”

“You are most welcome.”

And then he was gone.


	9. Shoulders That Carry Invisible Burdens Bow the Lowest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: angst, emotional turmoil

Long minutes passed as Aang sat in the courtyard alone. He hadn’t moved since Gyatso’s spirit had vanished, and the sun had long since emerged overtop of the temple’s highest spires. He focused on simply absorbing everything his friend had said, eyes closed as he thought. His mind was jumbled with so many things. Memories from childhood melded with chest-tightening agony as his countless personal losses.

It was so much to absorb, so much to work through.

Gyatso had forgiven him, but that didn’t mean Aang had forgiven himself.

 _That’s what he said, isn’t it? That he can forgive me, but he can’t make me forgive myself._ Aang opened his eyes, trying to ignore the stinging tears that threatened to spill over.

At last, he rose, pausing briefly to look around. Everything was so different, even though the temple’s structure had remained the same for more than a hundred years. The trees, the walls, the landscape--they were all the same. They were different, too, but in small ways. The trees were larger. The courtyard was cracked and in disrepair. The mountains seemed the same, but the energy they gave out was so different from what he’d felt as a child.

But, well…

Those changes didn’t seem so bad today. That nagging void he always felt when he visited one of the air temples had lessened a little, fading as Gyatso’s words percolated within his mind. He couldn’t help but focus on one thing his friend had said:

_We are not lost._

Those were the words that stuck with him the most as he finally turned his back on the courtyard drenched in the early morning sun. As he wandered slowly through the temple’s halls, he focused on that one sentence.

_We are not lost._

Why those words stuck with him more than anything else Gyatso had said, he couldn’t explain. They stayed with him, though, as he crossed another, smaller courtyard.

He sighed as the cool shade within the temple proper fell over his shoulders and head. Gyatso was right, in a way. The Air Nomads who had perished under Fire Nation hands weren’t lost. Not truly. Energy swam all around him, and for the first time since arriving, he _felt_ their presence. They weren’t with him in the same way they had been in life, but their energy was still here. It was still in the world, almost like an echo or a reflection in glass. They weren’t truly gone.

Yes, things had changed, and yes, he had lost a great part of himself in losing his people. But in truth, he could find ways to move forward and continue to pass on his culture and heritage as he’d been doing for years. The Air Acolytes were proof enough of that.

_I’ll just work harder and do more. I can keep our culture alive, and I can record what I know for future generations._

A painful pride swelled in his chest. The pain beat from the loss, the pride from his ability to continue moving forward despite that tremendous, hollow absence. The Air Nomads weren’t lost. Not really. Not anymore.

_Right?_

Some part of him doubted Gyatso’s words, though. Just because their energy was still in the world didn’t mean that their culture would remain intact once Aang passed away.

He paused before an enormous, cracked fresco and gazed up at the old paint. As he stood there, gazing at the painting of sky bison and nomads living in harmony, he realized that there were many ways in which he could continue to honor his heritage. One such way would be teaching the Air Acolytes how to repair and rejuvenate such artwork. Showing them which plants were dried and ground for pigments and how to patch the cracked plaster and stone would be the next step to keeping his culture alive long after he was gone.

For now, it was all he could think of doing. The pain and turmoil Gyatso had awoken in him wouldn’t be so easily put back to rest. Still, if he could do one good thing, then he would be that much happier for it.

*

Katara was still asleep when Aang returned to their marital bedchambers. He smiled at the sight of her curled up under the woven blankets. Her hair was still up, though some strands had fallen loose from the beads and pin he’d given her. Even asleep, she looked fierce and powerful. She held a sweetness to her as well, though, and Aang approached the bed to sit beside her.

Of all the people in the world, he needed her the most right then.

He gently ran his fingers over her cheek, and she blinked awake, turning toward him with a gasp. Water in the basin nearby rose in reflex, ready to slam into him.

“Aang,” she said on an exhale. The water sloshed back into the basin, and Katara laughed at her nervous reaction to being woken up so abruptly. She pressed his hand against her forehead and rubbed it over her face. “You startled me.”

“Sorry,” he replied with a soft chuckle. “I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t help myself. You’re so beautiful.”

She sat up, raising an eyebrow as she did. Her expression shifted. “Is something wrong?” she asked.

Somehow, Katara always seemed to catch onto the slightest shifts in his mood.

Aang had never understood her ability to notice when something was bothering him, but he was grateful for it--at least most of the time. This morning, he hedged, unsure of whether he wanted to talk about Gyatso and seeing him in the courtyard. He knew he needed to say something at some point. This was a pretty big deal, and keeping it to himself might not be the best thing.

Telling Katara would be good, but…

Well, she might not really understand how he felt about the situation. Even Aang wasn’t sure how he felt. The earlier sort-of calm he’d experienced before was fading as the conversation sank in. Part of him was relieved that Gyatso had said what he’d said, and he felt guilty for that relief. His emotions were tangled and uncertain, and he just…

He wasn’t sure how to explain it all.

Still, he had nothing to hide, and even if Katara didn’t understand entirely how he was feeling, she would listen to him. And right then, that was all he needed: someone to listen to him.

“I saw Gyatso this morning,” he replied at last.

A sharp intake of breath was her first response. Her eyes went wide. “Down at… at his...?”

“No,” he said quickly. No, he hadn’t gone to Gyatso’s resting place. He still struggled to go there alone, and bringing others always seemed… _wrong._ “Out in the courtyard. He came to me while I was meditating, reached out from the spirit world. It was… I don’t know. Nice? But hard.” He shook his head, turning away from her. His shoulders sank, as if he were carrying something heavy across them. He was; it was just invisible. “I don’t know. He… he said he forgives me, that he understands what happened and that I shouldn’t carry so much guilt. But… I do feel guilty.”

“Aang,” she whispered. “It wasn’t your fault.”

He couldn’t meet her gaze. “That’s not why I feel guilty, though. I know… I mean, I understand that it wasn’t my fault. I just… when Gyatso said that he forgave me, that I did nothing wrong… Katara, I felt relieved, but…” He rubbed the heel of his palms over his eyes, trying to push back the stinging tears.

“But you feel guilty for feeling relieved,” she murmured, resting a hand on his back. She moved closer, her arm sliding lower so she could pull him into her warm embrace. “That’s okay, Aang. It’s normal to feel that way.”

“It shouldn’t be,” he whispered. “I don’t want to… to feel like I shouldn’t be relieved. I mean, I shouldn’t be, but I am, and I can’t… I can’t handle this. I... I don’t know.” He shook his head and pulled away. Somehow, being away from her helped him think. “I think I just need to meditate on it. Think through everything that he said and work past it on my own.”

She hummed and rubbed his back, but didn’t pull him close again.

Aang was admittedly thankful. She of all people understood when he didn’t want to be held or coddled but still needed affection to ground him and keep him present. Katara knew him well enough to read the smallest changes in his mood, and while he couldn’t bring himself to say it in that moment, he was truly thankful for her.

“I think that sounds like a good idea,” she replied softly. “Give yourself time. This is a pretty big shift in your life. Just… you know, you don’t have to face it alone. Okay?”

He frowned at that. “I don’t know about it being a _shift._ ”

“I mean…” She hummed, hand stilling on his back as she considered her next words. “Okay. Think of it this way. You’ve spent your entire life carrying guilt and fear for something you couldn’t have prevented.” She must have seen the way he frowned at her mentioning _fear_ because she added, “Yes, you were afraid--afraid that you leaving caused so much pain and death. And that’s okay. But it sounds like Gyatso gave you something you’ve needed ever since finding out what happened to your people. He gave you _closure_. Real closure, too, and after carrying so many emotions for what happened to the other Air Nomads… it makes sense that you won’t be able to process it in just a few hours and move on. Give yourself time to grieve, but in a different way. Work through your guilt and your relief, and allow yourself the time you need to truly heal and grow and learn. Just remember that it’s okay to feel relieved. It’s okay to let go of everything you’ve been holding on to. It’ll take time, but letting go is part of the healing process.”

Hot tears welled in Aang’s eyes before falling down his cheeks. They glittered in the morning sunlight, capturing golden rays and shining like starlight. He sniffed. His chest swelled with pain, but also with something else, something new. He couldn’t quite put a name to it, but it wasn’t awful. Just intense. For the moment, he tried to let himself embrace every aspect and facet of his emotions. It was hard, though, and more tears followed.

Katara rubbed his back still, her hand moving in slow circles. “I’m here for you, no matter what you need, okay?”

He gave a choked laugh, tilting his head to look at the stone ceiling. He still couldn’t meet her gaze. “We should be... I don’t know. Celebrating. Kissing. Doing something fun. Right? We just… we just got ma-married, and now…” His words failed, chest heaving as more tears came to replace what he wanted to say.

He should be _happy,_ and some part of him was, but this was so much to take in, so much to absorb. Aang wasn’t in the mood to celebrate, and that pained him. He wanted to give Katara a happy, post-nuptial morning, but he just _couldn’t._

“Shhh.” Katara kissed his cheek. “We can do this. Just this. This is big, Aang, and right now, this is what we should focus on. Okay?”

He nodded, sniffling again as he wiped his tears away. “Yeah.” His voice was rough, throat tight from the swelling emotions. “Thank you, Katara.”

“You’re so welcome.” She shifted in the bed, tentatively drawing him closer. When he didn’t try to pull away again, she tugged him against her chest, resting her chin on his shoulder. “Just let yourself feel. I’m here if you need me.”

Aang curled closer to her and closed his eyes.

They sat like that for a long while. Aang worked through the pain and hurt and guilt and grief that welled inside him, trying to parse out everything he felt and why he felt the way he did. His mind buzzed with words and thoughts, and he couldn’t focus on one thing for long. It was frustrating. He hadn’t expected this swell of emotions, and he certainly hadn’t expected that it would take so long for him to just try and puzzle through the top layer.

_Katara’s right._

The realization was odd, but not unwelcome. She was right in that it would take time for him to find balance again after seeing Gyatso. Realizing that helped. The strain he was putting on himself to find balance lessened as he absorbed that it would take time for him to work through everything.

For once, Aang was glad that it would take a while. He wasn’t ready to truly let go of some things. The guilt for not being there for his people was one. Even if Gyatso had forgiven him, even if his people never blamed him for their deaths, he still needed to work through his own feelings on the matter. He needed to do it at his own pace.

And he would, one day at a time. Talking with Gyatso was the first true step forward in healing, and he latched onto that knowledge fiercely. Someday, he’d be okay. It might not be any day soon, but he would make it through this. He would.

And Katara would be with him the entire way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a pretty heavy chapter emotionally, but I couldn't imagine Aang just moving on with life after finally seeing Gyatso and getting some semblance of closure. He's such a sweet, sensitive person, and I see him taking his own natural reactions to Gyatso's words very hard. Even if I don't go into detail from here out with him working through this, just know that he is doing everything in his power to find balance and be okay with what happened.
> 
> Thank you for your patience while I worked on this chapter! I deeply appreciate it.


	10. Like a Leaf on the Breeze, Flying Free

Honeymoons were generally a time for a newly wed couple to relax. They were more common in the Earth Kingdom than in other parts of the world, but they were becoming more and more well-known among the global elite. So, when Katara asked for them to go on one, Aang couldn’t refuse her. The time away from their responsibilities and for him to ruminate on his meeting with Monk Gyatso would be healthy. Besides, they hadn’t really had time to be intimate since before their wedding, and they both craved the time alone with one another.

So, they had packed their things, and after brief farewells, they’d taken to the sky on Appa. There was a strange freedom in simply heading out for a few weeks and not needing to worry about anything or anyone else for so long. This wouldn’t be like their other mini-vacations. Those typically only lasted a couple of days; Katara--and, to a lesser extent, Sokka, Toph, and Zuko--had insisted the two of them take the full customary two weeks away. Sokka had tried to push them toward three, but even Katara had admitted that might be too long away from their duties. She wanted a break, not a disaster.

 _Not that being with her alone for three weeks would be a disaster,_ Aang thought.

In truth, Katara’s concern had been about the goings-on in the world during their absence. She’d been far more worried that something would happen if they stayed away for too long. Her concerns weren’t unfounded, either. Any time Team Avatar headed off for longer than a week, things tended to go south rather quickly. It was like they all had to be in their respective places for the world to continue on without issue.

And, if he was honest, it was getting frustrating.

_Yeah, well, the world will be fine without us for just a little while. We deserve this._

It was just as Monk Gyatso had said: Aang needed to learn to find his own balance and harmony. This honeymoon was part of that process. He would use the time to continue thinking through everything his friend had told him while kindling a stronger bond with his wife. The timing couldn’t have worked out better, either. The wedding and socialization in the days immediately following had taken a toll on both of them.

Dignitaries from around the world had come and gone, staying with them and chatting about political things under the guise of asking how their wedding had gone. Those who’d been unable to attend came to the Southern Air Temple to wander its halls and, in Aang’s mind, harass the spirits who still dwelled on the campus.

Even with their wedding, the politics and games never ended.

Aang leaned back against the saddle, exhaling through his nose. The exhale pulled all of the negativity and weight from him. His chest seemed lighter, the weight on his shoulders far less. There was nothing quite as sweet as being high in the open air. Up here, nothing could touch him. The sky was vacant, save for clouds and a few southern ocean bird species. Everywhere he looked, he saw blue broken only by the occasional wispy cloud. So high up, there was nothing to bother him. All of his earthly concerns were tethered to the ground far below, held in place by gravity and by their mortal constraints. Here, he was truly free from everything.

It was a magnificent feeling, and it helped him tilt a little closer to the personal harmony he wanted so badly to find. The sky was home. The sun was his greatest companion out here, aside from Appa and Katara, of course.

He couldn’t help turning his grin toward the sunlight.

Katara sat in the saddle just above him. She beamed out at the open sky, just as he did, her hair whipping around her in a frenzy. She’d braided it, but loose strands kept flying free of the plait. Her hair loopies spun wildly about her face. Since their wedding, she’d worn the beads and pin Aang had made for her every single day.

His heart swelled.

That was her.

That was his life, his love, his everything. He had gone into the ocean more than a hundred years ago during a terrible storm only to be awoken by this beautiful woman. She was the first thing he’d seen in his new life as the Avatar, and he hoped that she would continue to be the first person he woke up to for the rest of his life.

“You’re so beautiful,” Aang said, grinning at her. “So incredibly beautiful.”

She laughed, swatting at him playfully. “And you’re so corny.”

“You love it, though.”

“I love _you,_ ” she replied firmly. She slipped out of the saddle and joined him on Appa’s head, wrapping her arm around one of Aang’s and tucking herself closer to him. Her blue Water Tribe dress whipped around her. She tried--and failed--to tuck it under her legs. “So. Whaletail Island, huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

He laughed. It was one of the first places they had visited as a group, right after waking him up. It was one of the warmer territories now belonging to the Southern Water Tribe, though it had formerly been part of the Air Nation. While not quite as toasty as Ember Island, it offered a stunning setting and temperate waters. It also tempted them with seclusion from the outside world, which was one of the reasons they had chosen it.

As they glided north from the Southern Air Temple, Aang couldn’t help chuckling. “Yeah. C’mon. It’s the perfect place for a honeymoon!”

Katara curled closer to his side to ward off the chilly spring breeze. “You’re not wrong.” Her hand slipped over his. She seemed almost hesitant before saying, “I… I know we don’t talk about it much, but… I really hope we have children someday.”

The sentiment caught him off-guard. Not because he didn’t want children, but because he hadn’t really thought they were old enough to start talking about it. Then again, they _had_ just gotten married. It made sense that they should both be considering their futures together as a family--including any children they might have.

 _Between saving the world and trying to help restore balance, we haven’t had much of a chance to talk about our future._ Well, now was as good a time as any. “Yeah,” he agreed softly, lifting his arm and wrapping it around her. “I hope we do, too.”

She worried her lower lip, staying silent for a while. A steady blush crept over her dark cheeks. At first, Aang thought the pink tinge on her skin was just from the cold breeze, but when she shuffled again, seemingly uncomfortable with the topic, he realized that she was probably thinking more intimate thoughts.

Thoughts of the events leading to having kids.

 _Sexy_ thoughts.

He swallowed hard, suddenly embarrassed. “Do you, uh… do you wanna try tonight? Maybe? After we get there?” He gave an awkward laugh in an attempt to diffuse the question, make it seem like it wasn’t quite so serious.

But it was serious.

 _He_ was serious.

They were talking about… about having kids, after all. That meant that they would need to have sex at some point, and while they knew each other’s bodies very, _very_ well, they had never had outright penetrative sex before.

And now that he was thinking of maybe possibly getting to have sex with her-- _Katara,_ of all people!--he was struggling to keep his expression straight and his pants loose. _I really, really want to._

Her chuckle in response was almost as awkward as his own laugh. “Only if you’re… you know, okay with it. And, uh, and in the mood.”

Aang couldn’t help himself. He wanted to lighten the mood, and the words jumped from his mouth before he could stop them: “I’m always in the mood with you, baby.” The corny line was joined by an equally corny smile and a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Pfft! Aang!” Her laughter rang loud over the open ocean waters, and she shoved him playfully. “Then… then tonight, let’s see what happens.”

“Well, we’re not far from the island,” he replied pointing toward the hazy hint of land smudged across the horizon. “We could… you know.” Especially since, yes, his tunic pants were definitely more than a little tight at the moment.

“We have to get camp set up first.”

“Awww, what? No sex on the beach?”

Katara snorted and splashed him with some of her bending water before coyly returning it to the flask. But she looked contemplative, and maybe a little turned on herself. At last, she said, “ _Maybe_ sex on the beach. But we should set up the tend first.”

His face hurt from grinning so widely.

Regardless of _when_ they did it, he was excited that they were finally gonna try. They were gonna… gonna go all the way. He…

Holy moly.

His heart raced, hands a little clammy. He didn’t doubt that they’d both enjoy their first time having penetrative sex, but… well, he was still nervous about it. The last thing he wanted to do was mess anything up. Katara was the love of his life, and he wanted her to enjoy herself.

Still, he smiled.

Sure, Aang was nervous, but he was also terribly excited. They were _finally_ going to go all the way. They’d always talked about wanting to take that step, but the timing had never felt right, and they hadn’t truly sat down to have lengthy talks about having children. Because their lives had been so hectic, the thought of even an accidental child had been almost exclusively what kept them from having proper sex. Now, though…

Well, the talk wasn’t lengthy, but Aang had sort of always felt like he was on the same general page as Katara when it came to their lives together. Arguments and disagreements came and went; they were the ebb and flow of any relationship, and like the ebb and flow of the ocean, Aang had done his best to learn how to ride out the difficult parts. Thankfully, the two of them had learned more about communication and had figured out how to read one another pretty well by this point. Katara’s feeler question about children was, in a sense, her simply testing the waters. She wasn’t setting anything on the table as definite, simply saying it might be nice to start thinking about it.

But Aang all but _felt_ her true opinion on the matter--and he was right there with her. He truly was. The thought alone of having an actual family had him buzzing with an almost untameable joy. If they had children, he could pass down his legacy and the legacy of his people. Sure, there was no guarantee that one might be an airbender, but that wasn’t as important to him as he thought it might be.

Then again, this was the first time he had really had a chance to seriously think about having a family.

Kids.

Tonight was going to be special. They were gonna start trying to have children, and he couldn’t have been more excited. It seemed like he’d been missing some parts of his family and life ever since finding out about the other Air Nomads, but now…

Now he would have the chance to build his own family. A family tied to him by blood and tradition. A family that could very well pass on the affinity for becoming an airbender.

He couldn’t think of anything more special and dear to his heart than getting to share that experience with Katara.

Aang held her closer, tighter, pressing his nose into her dark hair. Brine and winter snow filled his nostrils, and he closed his eyes, deeply glad that this woman was in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is gonna be really fun (¬‿‿¬)


	11. Sweet Twilight Lullabies of Unfettered Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: This chapter is NSFW! Enjoy!

Night came almost swiftly. They’d spent most of the afternoon putting their camp together. A campfire guttered and swooned nearby, the only light in the darkness aside from the heavens and moon.

Whaletail Island was, thankfully, mostly uninhabited. A small village sat on the opposite shore from where Aang and Katara had chosen to spend their vacation. In all honesty, Aang wasn’t surprised that people had moved onto the island after the Air Nomads had been massacred. It made sense, especially during the war. People had come here seeking refuge in lands the Fire Nation had already conquered. They were safe in the long shadow of Fire Lord Ozai.

With the Air Nomads gone, they didn’t have to worry about much other than the occasional Fire Nation raid; even those were few and far between, since Whaletail Island belonged to the Fire Nation itself by that point. The island was about as safe as could be. It wasn’t far enough south to benefit the Fire Nation’s navy in raiding the Southern Water Tribe, and it wasn’t far enough north to really benefit any assaults against the Earth Kingdom. Because of that, it was the perfect semi-safe harbor for fugitives and refugees seeking safety. There were no bases or other military activity on the island.

Now that the war was long over, the population of the island had decreased somewhat. Fewer people had to fear the remaining nations. Fighting had ended. Death was only common among the elderly or ill. Work here was sparse, too. Most jobs consisted of fishing or farming ocean-based plants, such as kelp and seaweed. With the sudden abundance of peace, most of the residents had gone north or south, seeking more financial stability than could be found here. Only a small village remained.

Katara sighed as she leaned back against Aang’s chest. She gazed skyward. The dark heavens were clear, giving them a stunning view of the stars and the Great Ocean, a band thick with stars that almost looked like seafoam. Their fire cast a warm glow across the sand, warming their skin against the twilight chill.

Her hand rested over his.

Appa was deeper in the brush, grazing before settling down for the night. Aang doubted he would see the sky bison again before they headed home. That was another reason they’d chosen this island: It was remote enough that Appa would be more than safe while out on his own. Still, some part of Aang wanted to check on his friend. After losing Appa--even though it had only been temporary--as a child, he’d always felt insecure about letting his bison wander off. He never felt safe enough.

Katara seemed to notice his uncertainty. More than likely, she saw the way he kept turning to peer into the shadows of the jungle behind them. She tilted her head up and kissed the underside of his jaw. As if she could read his mind, she murmured, lips brushing over his stubble-covered skin, “He’ll be fine, Aang. He’s close, and we can get to him if anything happens.”

Aang huffed a soft laugh. “Yeah. I know. It’s just…” _Toph was right there, but he was still taken._ His stomach clenched uncomfortably.

She sat up and turned toward him, leaning in to kiss away his fears. Her soft lips traced over his own, tongue lightly pushing into his mouth. He closed his eyes and let her kiss carry him away to somewhere else, somewhere warm and comfortable and safe. Somewhere Appa would never be hurt.

 _We’re already there,_ part of his mind reminded him. _We’re there, and he’s safe. We’re all safe. It’s over. No one would ever take him from me again._

Even after all this time, safety was an odd feeling. After running for so many years and constantly saving people or fixing problems, Aang found it hard to relax. They’d spent the majority of their lives helping others, doing things _for others._ Maybe that was why he struggled to relax fully, even now. Maybe it was why his mind and body couldn’t quite recognize what it meant to be _safe._

Her fingers traced along his shoulders and down his chest as they kissed, and Aang found himself pushed back and down until he was lying on their blanket. Sand shifted beneath the soft woven cloth. Waves lapped at the shore. Every once in a while, a larger one crashed against the cliffside down the way from them. Songbirds twittered their twilight lullabies. Somewhere far off, Aang heard a sharkwhale exhale its great breath into the still evening air. Its pod followed suit, more puffs whispering into the night.

Katara pulled back, her hair dangling down across Aang’s cheek and neck. It tickled his skin. “It’s okay if you’re not in the mood.” Her voice was barely a whisper. “We can wait, if you want.”

Aang slid his hands up and held her tight around the waist. “I am. I’m just… it’s hard to relax. That’s all. I keep thinking. It’s… it’s hard to make my mind quiet sometimes.”

She laughed softly, but there was no real humor in it. The laugh was one of understanding, of mournful recognition that they would never truly be at rest or at ease. “Yeah. I know what you mean.”

“You’re one of the few people who do,” he admitted. _I wish you weren’t, though. Despite everything, I wish this wasn’t something you knew and understood._

But in a way, he was glad she shared this uneasiness with him, this inability to truly relax. He wasn’t sure he could have made it this far without her.

Another laugh, but this one sounded more real and less sardonic.

Aang pulled her close, drawing her mouth to his again so they could release tension through their union. Her skin was a safe harbor for him. The warmth and sweetness, the _solidness_ of her presence, was all that mattered in that moment. The kiss was slow and soft. He warmed his hands with mild firebending, not going nearly far enough to do any damage, and slipped one hand under her shirt to run his fingers across her tight stomach. Muscles twitched beneath his touch, and Katara pulled away with a soft gasp.

“Feel good?”

“Yeah,” she whispered, almost shyly. “Keep going.”

Aang’s other hand joined his first, and he steadily guided them across her skin. Scars bumped under his fingers now and then, breaking the smooth texture. She didn’t have many, but she had more than he thought she should. The years hadn’t been entirely kind to either of them. They’d waged more than their fair share of battles since childhood and hadn’t always come away unscathed.

A long, deep dip caught the edge of his fingers, and he followed it across her ribs and down toward her pelvis. An injury from back when she’d faced off against Master Pakku for the first time. He’d hit her pretty hard with a shard of ice. She’d ignored the wound until the battle was over, but the scar remained as a reminder of the fight. Since then, she’d worn it as a private badge of honor. Aang couldn’t blame her. She’d fought hard to earn Master Pakku’s respect, and in doing so, had earned the respect of both the Northern and Southern Tribes.

Katara sat back and lifted her tunic shirt off. She dropped it onto the blanket beside them. A light linen shirt was beneath it, and under that, some bindings to keep her chest in place. As she unwound the bindings, Aang leaned up to kiss along her neck and shoulders. Her bare skin prickled beneath his touch from the chill--and, he liked to think, from his mouth. He tongued lightly at her necklace before moving lower still.

He smirked against her shoulder and lifted one hand, guiding ocean water toward them. With his other hand, he rubbed up and down her back, soothing the muscles. Heat steamed from his palm, helping relax her aches and pains. They always ached these days, though the aches were less from age and more from old injuries flaring up.

“It’s not fair that I can’t do that for you,” she whispered as she leaned into his touch and sighed.

He chuckled. “Yeah, well. You’ll always be a better waterbender than me. So there’s that.”

Katara rolled her eyes and tossed the binding aside at last. Her breasts hung heavy and dark in the moonlight. Orange firelight limned her right side. Aang caught sight of her darker nipples, though just barely. They were hidden treasures in the fading twilight. He brought the ocean water closer before winding it up her body and to her chest.

She shivered, gasping in surprise. “Aang! That’s cold!”

A wicked grin cast her way before he guided it down. “Should I warm it up, then?”

“Yes, but not--oh!” She yelped and scrambled to bend the water into his face.

Cold splashed over him, killing the heat growing between his legs. He spluttered and coughed. “Hey!”

It was her turn to laugh. Katara pinned him down with one arm before bending the cold water out of his clothes and from the sand. “You should know better than to do that.”

Aang grinned and curled his hands into fists at his sides. With an upward motion of his arms, the sand around them solidified and jumped, grabbing Katara and holding her still.

“No fair!”

He kissed her jaw. “Very fair.”

“Aang!”

“Katara,” he murmured, keeping his voice low as he kissed up her jaw, toward her ear. When he reached it, he whispered, “Be mine. Always.”

She shivered, her thighs clenching on either side of his. “Always,” she repeated, voice husky and low.

He hummed and ran his hands over her back again, glad to have more freedom. This was sort of… sexy, actually, having her secured like this. She couldn’t fight back, couldn’t do anything unless he let her. She was utterly and completely _his._

And he liked it.

_A lot._

“Tell me if this is too much.”

“You’re killing the mood,” she quipped back lightly. “But yeah, I’ll tell you.”

“Ocean kumquat?” he asked, verifying their safe phrase. Normally they used _Appa,_ but since the bison was probably in ear shot, this was their typical second choice.

She hummed.

Aang drew his hands around toward her front, cupping her breasts. They were heavy, a delightful weight against his palms. His thumbs rubbed over her nipples, and he subtly bent the air around her chest to draw goosebumps over her bare skin.

Another soft gasp.

It was like music to his ears.

“So beautiful.”

“You always say that.”

“It’s never a lie,” he replied. “You leave me speechless sometimes.”

“Just kiss me.”

He didn’t hesitate to slam their lips together, surging up toward her with a sudden urgent need. The warmth of her body melded against his own. He was still fully clothed, and he relished in the fact that he was being given the opportunity to enjoy every inch of her body. Even back when he’d first fallen for her, he’d never quite dreamt they’d get this far, be together this long. He couldn’t say he was upset about how things had ended up between them.

_Always. We’ll be together always._

He guided more heat into his hands, careful to keep the temperature comfortable for her. Firebending was still his least-practiced element, and he was determined to keep it under control. The heat must have felt nice, because she moaned prettily into his mouth.

Aang dragged his hands lower before hooking his thumbs into the waistband of her pants. Inch by inch, he drew them down over her hips. As he did, he reveled once more in the scars on her hips and thighs. She had fewer here. Many of them were smaller, the result of knicks or scratches. Most of them were almost invisible now.

She lifted herself as best she could while bound by the earth so he could pull her pants down to her ankles.

“What now? Aren’t you gonna get naked, too?” she asked, a bit of her usual bite to her voice. She had always been a little impatient when she was riled up.

Aang grinned at her. “But you look so pretty like this.”

She jerked her head to one side, splashing him in the face with cold ocean water.

He laughed and drew the water off of himself before coiling it into a tight, cool ball. He grinned at her, the edges of his smile dark with desire. His cock throbbed, twitching with interest, but he did his best to ignore it. Wanting her was part of the fun. They would get there soon. For now, he wanted to enjoy teasing her just a little more.

Aang warmed the water to body temperature, careful not to heat it too much. He kept the shape cylindrical and compact as he guided the water toward her vagina.

She shivered, eyes wide.

“You okay?” he murmured.

A nod, sharp and firm.

“Good,” he breathed as he guided the water inside her. He did his best to keep the shape, but holding it without seeing it was difficult. He might have been the Avatar, but even he wasn’t a master waterbender of Katara’s skill. Using tentacles of water was a little different than keeping the tight, compact shape of the water dildo.

He pushed it deeper, spreading the water a little to give himself more room for error--and to give Katara something… _more._

She gasped, eyes rolling back as the water filled her, the surface tension almost as hard as an erect cock but not quite. “Ah-Aang!”

Deeper and deeper he pushed before guiding the dildo out. In and out, slowly, methodically, and the entire time, he watched her slowly fall apart. With one hand he guided the water, and with the other, he toyed with her clit, heating his fingers before letting them cool. He worked the firebending in slow waves, letting her writhe and moan between cool and warm touches.

Aang moaned. “So pretty for me.”

“Sh-shut up,” she gasped. “Aang, please. Just… inside me, please. _Please._ ”

He bit his lower lip, using earthbending to spread her legs just a little farther. “Not yet. Wanna see you cum for me first.”

She whimpered as he started undulating the water inside her, matching the heating and cooling of the fingers playing with her clit. In and out the water flowed, spreading wider before shrinking. She shook, her thighs trembling with the effort of keeping herself up.

Aang released his hold on firebending and pulled his finger from her swollen clit.

“No! Please, Aang!” Her voice broke.

“Shhh. Just a minute. Wanna help you.” He waved his hand, guiding more sand and stone to help give her support so she could just enjoy herself. “There we go. Better?”

Katara nodded, hair hanging limply across her plush, heaving chest. “Yes. Now please. _Please._ ”

Aang returned to rubbing her clit, falling into a rhythm that had become familiar so quickly. He stroked and lightly pinched his fingers. He rolled them around, feeling the pulse of her heartbeat in her plump clit. Her thighs still shook, but this time it wasn’t because she was holding herself up. No, this time, they trembled from pleasure.

He guided the water inside her, rubbing it against her inner walls until he found the familiar spot, the one that made her hips buck forward and her head tilt back. Her lips parted in a gasp. Eyes wide, mouth moving in a near-silent pleading wail.

She found her voice again: “Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Aang, please! Almost--I’m almost--”

He moaned, rubbing and working her as he shimmied his pants down. It was hard without hands, but a few breaths of well-placed airbending and earthbending had his cock free in a few scant seconds. His dick bobbed, hard and heavy. Wet precum dripped from the red tip, as clear as the night sky.

“Baby, you look so good like this,” he whispered as he angled his cock using his hips. He continued to move the water inside her, working her until she whined and gasped. His fingers toyed with her clit until she sobbed once, then again, her thighs clenching tight around him.

And then he thrust upward while pulling the earthen blocks supporting her down. Hot wetness surrounded his cock, and he groaned as he filled her. She cried out, vagina tightening around him as she orgasmed from the sudden fullness of both his cock and the warm water. His hand slipped away from her clit, and he grabbed her hips, thrusting upward again as she shook. Water rushed out of her, soaking his dick, but he didn’t care.

He was in her.

He was finally _in_ her.

“Aang!” she cried.

He moaned, crashing his mouth against hers to keep any other screams for himself. No one else was allowed to hear her plead and beg like this. No, this was only for him.

She felt so good. So incredible. He’d never been inside her before, not like this. She was tight and warm and so… so _perfect._ The slide of her slick made his eyes roll back. Her tongue pushed into his mouth. The earth holding her up crumbled to sand, and she pushed him down, thrusting downward again and again, grinding into his hips as she fucked him. Their skin slapped together, filling the night air with the sounds of their lovemaking.

He moaned as her hands wrapped around his shoulders, grabbing and touching everything he could reach. She clawed at his shirt, gripping the material as she fucked him into the blanket-covered sand.

Higher and higher she took him, the heat and pleasure coiling and building inside him until he thought he would burst.

And then he did.

Heat snapped through his arms and legs. Air blasted out around them, and the ocean swelled away as the impact of his orgasm sent the sand into a frenzy. The fire nearby whipped and danced as Aang came, filling Katara with everything he had.

His head tilted back, lips pulling free as he moaned her name into the night. “Katara!”

She clenched around him as she came again, her body shaking from the sudden intensity of her second orgasm.

They hung like that, still for a long few seconds as they rode out their pleasure.

Then, finally, they collapsed onto the blanket. Katara shivered, gasping.

Aang hummed and pulled her close, burying his face into her hair.

He was speechless, but for once, words wouldn’t have done his affection justice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love how this chapter turned out TuT They're so soft and sweet~


	12. Lessons Learned from Drenching Loved Ones in Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was such a joy to write! Oh my gosh. I really wish there was more material out there of the Kataang kids when they're really young.
> 
> So, my research suggested that Bumi is the oldest, and Kya was born about 5 years after him. Tenzin was born 3 years after her, so I tried to get their ages to be consistent with that. Bumi's 9 here (almost 10) because of the 9 months Katara would have spent pregnant after the last chapter. Kya is about 4 (almost 5), and Tenzin is barely one.
> 
> **LEGEND OF KORRA MILD SPOILERS BELOW**
> 
> I also tried to show the very early stages of Yakone's career. There wasn't much material for me to pull from, but I imagine that even when he first came into Republic City, he wanted to be noticed. It'll still be a few years before Aang takes his bending away, but that's such a big part of LOK that I wanted to make sure to include it, if just through a few sentences.
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter! We're getting close to the end of the story, and things are going to focus more on Aang and Katara's family life.

**Ten Years Later**

_ Thud, thud, thud, thud. _

_ SPLASH! _

“AHHH! STOP IT, KYA!”

“Hahahaha!”

_ SPLASH! _

“Moooooom!”

“Kya! Stop picking on your brother! You know he can’t waterbend!” Katara shouted, turning to their daughter. The thudding of their children’s feet slowed at her outburst.

Kya pouted, water hovering shakily around her. She didn’t want to stop, obviously, and she kept glancing over at Bumi, as if deciding whether to tempt fate--and her mother’s anger.

It had been a long day for both of them, and Aang and Katara were thoroughly exhausted. Between meetings and dealing with a rising dissenter named Yakone, they had been run ragged over the last several weeks. Tempers were running thin. Rumors had begun to circulate that Yakone, a notorious waterbender in the criminal underground, could actually bloodbend, but Aang had yet to find proof of this fact. Worse yet, even though he’d already been arrested a handful of times, he was  _ always _ acquitted. It just made tensions in the house higher.

Katara understood what bloodbending meant, and the fact that Yakone was becoming a prominent figure among the waterbending criminals in the city didn’t bode well. She was struggling with knowing that someone so dangerous was gaining momentum in the criminal world, but nothing the law--nor the Avatar--did seemed able to stop him.

It was frustrating, but Aang had found that the easiest and best way to work through the stress of his job was being with his family. And honestly, watching Kya chase her older brother around the house, splashing him, was helping lighten his mood.

Kya took off again, zooming after Bumi and slinging water at him.

Bumi screamed and ran off, trying to hide behind the couch. Kya got him there, too, by dropping a small bubble of water right on his head.

_ SPLASH! _

Aang tried not to laugh. Their children were certainly a lot to handle these days. Kya, their middle child, had proven to be quite a handful for their non-bender son, Bumi. She was only four, but was already a little terror and had shown quite a knack for waterbending. Their youngest son, Tenzin, was still just a baby and was currently in a sling on Karata’s back. While his siblings raced through the house, he slept soundly.

“Kya! I said  _ stop!” _

Kya stumbled at her mother’s shout, turning big blue eyes to Katara. “Not me!” she said, voice pitched. “Not me!”

It was her way of saying she hadn’t done anything wrong.

Bumi glared at her from behind the couch, his head sopping wet. Water dripped down onto his shirt. He was almost ten, more than twice Kya’s age, but had already shown to be rather easily dominated by her. He’d  _ tried _ to fight back, but he didn’t want to actually hurt her, and at her age, her waterbending was little more than splashing.

Honestly, Aang wasn’t sure how to handle the situation for the most part. He and Katara were still trying to figure out how to teach Kya that waterbending wasn’t a toy, but they also didn’t want her to be ashamed or scared of her ability. She couldn’t truly hurt Bumi yet, but once she started figuring out how to freeze water, that would change.

Aang swept Kya up into his arms. “You can’t keep picking on him like this.”

“No!” she shouted, wiggling against him. “Leggo!”

Bumi snorted. “I  _ would _ have won, but I don’t think it’s right to hit a girl. Right, Mom?”

Katara nodded and returned to the meal she’d been preparing. “You’re right. You’re a lot older than her, too, and you could really hurt her.”

When Kya had started showing a knack for waterbending, they’d sat down with Bumi and explained that things might get a little… wetter around the house. That had been less than six months ago, and he was truly trying to be a good big brother, but Aang could tell that not being able to really fight back was frustrating for him. He still didn’t completely understand why  _ she _ could splash him, but  _ he _ couldn’t fight back.

This was one of the few nights where all five of them were home together. They’d been living in Republic City for nearly a decade at this point and rarely left the city limits these days. The amount of crime and other political issues that plagued the area kept Aang all but trapped at the capital while Katara was busy training waterbenders inside the city to heal. She had been trying to worm her way closer to the waterbending underground, but hadn’t been successful so far. Everyone knew who she was, so she wasn’t able to infiltrate the criminal world like they’d initially hoped. Instead, she’d started teaching healing in an attempt to get young waterbenders to see the  _ good _ their bending could do. She wanted to divert at-risk youth from being drawn to a criminal lifestyle, but she was fighting an uphill battle for the most part.

When she wasn’t working in the city, she traveled home as often as she could to visit Hakoda. Her father was ailing and had aged considerably. Old battle scars were taking a toll on him, and his health was failing. He’d since passed power to a new chief and had opted to stay down south with friends, though Aang wished he wouldn’t. Katara and Sokka had both made it clear that they wanted their father to move to Republic City, but Aang wasn’t sure the former chief could survive the trip north. He really wasn’t doing well.

He was pulled from his dismal thoughts when Kya yanked on his beard. Sharp pain nipped his jaw. “Ouch! Kya, no! Bad!”

“Leggo!” she shrieked.

He held her out, making sure she was at eye-level with him--and making sure those grabby hands of hers were far away from his beard. “Kya, you can’t keep bullying Bumi, and you shouldn’t pull my beard like that. Eventually, he’s going to start fighting back.”

Bumi’s face scrunched. He was missing a front tooth, and his wild, wet hair almost made him resemble his namesake. Aang’s heart swelled and ached at the memory of his long-deceased friend.

“But you said I can’t fight back! You said hitting her is wrong! Right, Mom?” He turned to Katara, eyes wide.

“It is!” Katara interjected quickly. She wiped her hands on a towel and joined them, kneeling to put an arm around Bumi and pull him from behind the couch. On her back, baby Tenzin shifted and whined before settling in again and falling back asleep.

_ He’s such a calm, quiet baby, _ Aang thought right before Kya yanked his beard again and started screaming to be put down.

“Kya is still just a baby,” Aang added, turning her to hold her closer and keep her hands away from his beard.

She pouted, still wiggling, tongue poking out as she tried to get free of his grip.

“She’s too young to know what she’s doing is mean,” he continued. “But that doesn’t mean we’re gonna let her just get away with it. We’ll discipline her.”

Bumi frowned. “But you said I’d start fighting back. Why can’t I do that now?”

“She can’t hurt you yet,” Katara said gently. “But you  _ can _ hurt her, and very badly.”

This was a hard lesson to teach. Bumi had never had bending on his side. He was still so young that he didn’t really understand the intricacies of bending and what it could really do. While Aang and Katara ensured he was instructed by the city’s best martial artist masters and that he had a strong education, he still didn’t quite understand the differences in power. It was going to be a hard lesson for him to learn, and while Aang knew he shouldn’t be disappointed that Bumi couldn’t bend…

He shoved that thought away.  _ No. I’m not disappointed. He is who he is, and I love him all the same. _

Katara scrubbed her fingers through Bumi’s damp hair. “Go get changed and get your uncle. Dinner’s almost ready, and he should be just about ready to eat.”

Bumi was still frowning, obviously trying to work through what they’d talked about as he left. Water dripped off of him and splattered across the floor.

_ At least Sokka’s here to help him through some of this. _ Sokka and Bumi had a strong connection. They were both older brothers to waterbending sisters, and while Kya had a bit more of a mean streak than Katara had at her age, Sokka had proven very helpful in teaching Bumi how to handle Kya’s outbursts--for the most part.

As Katara stood, she grunted, wincing as her knee popped. She stretched and sighed. “Getting old is awful.”

Aang nodded. He set Kya down at long last and crouched in front of her, holding her chubby, small hands. “Kya, you can’t keep attacking Bumi like that. Okay?”

“But it’s fun!” she said, words mashing together in her tiny mouth.

He shook his head. “Hurting someone else and terrorizing them is  _ wrong. _ Not fun. You have a power that he doesn’t, and you shouldn’t use it against him. Benders and non-benders need to live in harmony. Do you understand?”

She nodded, eyes wide, and then her nod turned into her shaking her head.

“She’s three, Aang,” Katara said as she returned to their meal and began plating it. “Logic isn’t going to work on her yet.”

Kya pulled her hands free from Aang’s and scuttled over to play with her wooden toys. They were blocks of all shapes and sizes, each painted with unique and beautiful symbols. Sokka had bought them for her for her last birthday. They were made in such a way that she could freeze them together or run water through them. He’d explained that waterbenders used to use them to teach young children how to control their bending, but all Aang had seen them do was encourage her to go after Bumi. She liked to knock them over.

He stood and joined Katara in setting the meal out. She didn’t always cook. He actually cooked a great portion of the time, but he was never one to pass up her food. There was nothing quite as hearty as her homemade stews and breads.

By the time Sokka and Bumi emerged from Sokka’s side of their small compound, the hot meal was set. He’d been living with them for the last several years. It just made sense. Most families lived together and shared homes, and Sokka had been adamant about being close by in case of emergency.

Some habits died hard. They were still checking over their shoulders for Azula’s ghost, even though she had been in prison for years. Her ghost was always replaced by someone else, though, and the tension in their lives never seemed to settle.

“This looks great!” Sokka said, clapping his hands together, eyes widening and all but glistening at the sight of the meal before him. “Thank you for cooking, Katara! I’m  _ starving!” _

“Yeah, yeah. Just make sure to leave enough for everyone else,” his sister replied, rolling her eyes.

Sokka plopped down and began reaching for various food, piling his meal up on his clay plate. He hummed as he worked, joking with Bumi about how Momo used to steal his food.

Aang was about to speak when water splashed across the table, sending some of the smaller dishes crashing to the floor.

At the end of the table, Kya bounced up and down, cheering. “Did it! Did it!”

Sokka, who had been in the direct line of fire, was soaked through.

Katara gawked, and Aang clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.

This was the first time she had controlled such a large amount of water at once. Normally, her waterbending didn’t go beyond splashing or small, floating bubbles that popped. This time, it looked like she had actually performed a miniature water whip.

It was actually pretty impressive for someone so young.

“Kya!” Katara shouted.

Aang couldn’t hold his laughter in. He dropped backward, holding his stomach as he giggled. So much for trying to teach her restraint.

Oh well.

She’d learn, one way or another.


	13. Lessons from the Past Haunt Us Yet

**Five Years Later**

She didn’t learn. Not quickly, at any rate. Even at eight, Kya was still all but torturing her older brother whenever the mood struck her. By now, though, Bumi had figured out his own ways of fighting back. For the most part, he stood up for himself without hurting her, but he was coming into his own as a man and was already able to overpower her simply from sheer force of physical strength. Now, though, at fifteen, Bumi was away from home. Sokka had taken him to the South Pole for his first ice-dodging, and Aang was secretly a little glad for the lack of fighting in the house. Without her older brother around, Kya spent her days training and studying. It was the quietest she’d been in years.

_The time apart will do them some good. Bumi needs his uncle and needs to learn about his heritage as much as he can while he’s still young._

Kya, on the other hand, took to life like she did the sea.

She was already proving to be an adept healer, much like her mother. Like Katara, she also showed a knack for waterbending strategy during combat. She used her environment with respect, but understood that water could be found just about anywhere. Katara had taught her how to pull water from her own body through literal sweat and tears. She’d shown Kya how to pull it from plants and trees and from thin air itself.

While teaching her, though, Katara had been… almost absent. It was like she was simply showing the motions without any heart behind it. In a way, Aang understood. He truly did. The time in that Fire Nation village with Hama had taught Katara so much about her abilities--both the good and the bad.

Some things from their past still haunted them, and taking water from living plants was one of those things.

Another, though, was bloodbending.

Yakone’s activity had only increased over the last five years, and Aang was finally about to do something he’d dreaded.

He was about to confront Katara about the potential of Kya learning to bloodbend. Not to use. Never to use. Simply to… understand what it was and to avoid succumbing to the power it offered over others.

This wasn’t going to be a fun discussion, but it needed to be had.

“Katara, can I talk with you?” he asked when he found her in Tenzin’s room.

Their youngest son was barely five and still hadn’t shown much potential in bending. Aang’s heart ached at the thought of maybe never having an airbender child, but he held out hope. Airbending wasn’t like bending the other elements. It wasn’t always obvious that it was being done. Water, earth, and fire were all visible and fairly “solid” forms of bending in their own right, but airbending was almost invisible unless you knew what to look for.

Well, Aang had been looking. He’d been looking and looking and _looking._

So far, he hadn’t seen much from Tenzin.

Maybe that would change, but he sort of doubted it.

“Sure, Aang.” She set the toys blocks down. They were the same ones Kya had played with at Tenzin’s age. Even without waterbending, they were still great toys and tools for a growing child. “Mommy will be right back. Keep playing.”

Tenzin grabbed the nearest block in his cubby hands and continued to build. He was such a quiet child, even as a toddler. He barely cried and often seemed to stare at things that no one else could see.

At first, Aang had hoped he could see spirits, but the spiritual leader they’d met with after they’d noticed Tenzin’s odd behavior had claimed he would never be able to see or access spirits as they existed currently. He simply wasn’t connected with the spirit world.

That had all but confirmed that their son wasn’t a bender as far as Aang was concerned. Still, he hoped, but that hope was dwindling.

“What’s up?” she asked.

They stayed in the doorway to the room, just so they could keep an eye on their youngest child. At five, Tenzin was fairly independent, and he hadn’t shown the same knack for getting into trouble as his siblings. For the most part, Aang didn’t mind leaving his youngest son to his own devices.

“I…” He hesitated. This was a tough subject to broach, but Kya was getting older. Sooner or later, she would realize that she could probably bloodbend, and once she did, she might hurt someone. She might even fall prey to the power it offered. She… _No. I have to say something. We have to be prepared, and we have to help her prepare in case anything happens._ It was the right thing to do. He just wasn’t looking forward to how defensive Katara would become over this. She’d always had such a sore spot for bloodbending.

He understood.

Well, okay. Maybe it was more accurate to say that he sympathized. Even as the Avatar, he’d never shown any interest or ability when it came to bloodbending. Katara, though, was one of the most powerful waterbenders in the _world._ And he and Sokka had both figured that there was a very good chance that the ability to bloodbend was hereditary. They hadn’t proven it yet, of course, but they speculated as much from what little they knew about it.

Yakone’s presence just made this a more difficult subject to broach. It would have been one thing to talk about Kya needing to understand what bloodbending was and when not to use it if the mob boss wasn’t around, but…

But with him here, with the rise of the waterbending underworld of crime, Aang had to know that their daughter understood the dangers and temptations of her abilities. Waterbending could be used for so much good--but just like anything else, it could also be used to cause great harm.

And Katara had not only witnessed it first-hand, but had _done_ it.

“We need to talk about Kya,” he said finally.

Katara frowned. “What did she do this time?”

“It’s not anything she did,” he said quickly, catching her just before she called Kya over. Their daughter was currently studying in the main room, nibbling on snacks as she worked. “It’s… it’s what she could do.”

That only earned a confused frown. “What could she do?”

Man, he _really_ didn’t want to talk about this.

 _But I have to._ He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm himself down before he said anything. _I have to make sure she doesn’t feel attacked._

“Aang? What is it? You’re scaring me.” Her eyebrows pinched together, and Aang gently took her hands in his.

“It’s… look, I’m definitely not trying to… to scare you or attack you or anything,” he said. “But with Yakone around, I think… I think it’s time we talk to Kya about bloodbending.”

Just as he’d expected, Katara’s eyes widened, and she pulled her hands out of his. She acted like he’d slapped her. “ _What?_ You can’t be serious!”

“I am,” he replied, keeping his voice calm. If he let himself get worked up, then she’d get more upset, and they’d only end up fighting. It wouldn’t be the first time they argued--nor the last. He just didn’t want this to turn into a fight. Not this. Not today. “Yakone’s abilities haven’t been proven yet, but there are rumors, and those rumors are following waterbenders wherever they go.” He tried to maintain eye contact, but glanced away, ashamed at how helpless he felt regarding the whole situation. “Katara, you _have_ the ability to bloodbend, and if… if Sokka and I are right, it could be hereditary. That means Kya might--”

“No,” she snapped, stepping back. Anger scrawled across her face, her lips set in a cold, taught line. “Nope. No way. We’re _not_ talking to Kya about bloodbending, and I’m _not_ going to… to show her, or whatever you think I should do!”

“Katara, I wasn’t--”

“No!” she shouted again. “I’m done talking about this.”

With that, she stormed back into the room where Tenzin was playing.

He’d stopped, though, and watched the two of them with curious, gray eyes.

Aang sighed through his nose. This wasn’t at all how the conversation was supposed to go. They needed to work through this, needed to find a way to explain how dangerous it was to bloodbend to their daughter. This wasn’t something they could just ignore. Kya had to learn, and she had to learn soon.

He couldn’t just walk away from this conversation. No matter how much he didn’t like the idea of pressing his wife on this, he _had_ to make sure she understood the dangers of not explaining bloodbending to Kya.

“Katara,” he said, stepping into the room.

“Go away.”

“No,” he replied, sitting down near her and Tenzin. He reached for a block and handed it to their son.

Tenzin took it, watching him with wide eyes.

Aang knew his son could speak. He talked less than his siblings, but when he did, it was always in complete sentences. _Even if he’s not a bender, he’s an amazing child. So observant and collected._ In a way, he was proud.

He turned his attention back to his wife. “I know you don’t want to think of her being able to do it, but what if she hears about it and tries for herself, just out of curiosity? What then? She needs to understand the danger. She needs to understand how… how bad it is. You know how kids are. Bumi thought he could earthbend and tried to get stuck between boulders so he could bend himself out.” It was funny looking back, but at the time, Bumi had almost lost his arm. “If we don’t explain this to her now, we may never get the chance. She’s already shown some amazing talent for waterbending, especially for someone as young as she is. If she stumbles across bloodbending on her own…” He shook his head, trying not to take Katara’s icy silence personally.

He didn’t know what more to say. He’d made his point, had offered his piece for her to take as she would. Now he just had to hope that she would take his perspective to heart and understand that he truly just wanted the best for their daughter.

When she didn’t say anything for long minutes on end, he finally moved to stand.

Her hand caught his sleeve. “Wait.” The word was soft. Angry, but soft. Blue eyes flicked up to him, clouded with confusion and anger and a hundred other emotions Aang couldn’t possibly understand first-hand. She gently tugged him back down.

So he sat. And he waited. He could be patient. For this to work, he had to be.

At long last, Katara nodded. She didn’t speak, just nodded once and stood.

Aang moved to follow her, but she shook her head.

“Stay here. I’ll talk to her.”

“You can wait,” he said softly. “I just meant… soon. Not now. Not--”

“If I don’t talk to her now, I never will.” Her hands clenched into tight fists. “I hate this,” she whispered, voice choked with emotion. “I hate it, but you’re right. I have… I have to show her, and I have to talk with her. Stay here. I… I really don’t want you to be there. Not for this.”

Her words stung him, digging deep and spiking through his heart. _She doesn’t want me there._ But, well… she had that right. Of all the people to understand what bloodbending was and what it could do, Katara was the best person to approach the topic with Kya. Aang had only ever been bloodbent himself; he’d never actually done it to someone else. He couldn’t imagine how hard this would be, and if him being there would only make things worse, then he had to respect her choice.

“Yeah, okay. Just… give a shout if you need me. I’m here for you both.”

A curt nod, and she left the room.

Aang exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. His chest ached. This wasn’t going to be easy, but it had to be done.

_I’m just glad she realized it._

Still, he doubted that the discussion was over. No doubt she would be angry with him for a while. He could handle that. As long as Kya was safe, as long as she understood what bloodbending was and how it affected others, he would be able to handle anything Katara threw his way. The silent treatment, rage, screaming, fighting, crying; he’d deal with it all as long as it meant their baby girl was safe and understood the potential for harm.

“Daddy?”

Aang turned to Tenzin. He’d almost forgotten his youngest was with him. “Hey, Tenzie. What is it?”

Tenzin looked at where Katara had gone. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he murmured. Explaining bloodbending to Tenzin would be a waste of energy, and on top of that, his son couldn’t bend, so… it didn’t really affect him, he supposed. _What a joke. The Avatar and the strongest waterbender in the world have three kids, and two of them can’t even bend._

The second the thought came to his mind, Aang wished he could remove it. He hadn’t meant it. Not the way it sounded. It just… it stung sometimes, knowing that he hadn’t been able to father an airbender. It was all he’d wanted.

Well, not all. But it was a lot of what he’d wanted in his children. When he and Katara had Bumi, they’d both been so excited and hopeful that their son would show an aptitude for bending. When it hadn’t happened, they’d tried again. Kya’s near-immediate ability to waterbend had been such a relief. It had given them both hope that maybe things would be different for their third child.

And now, five years later, Tenzin was here, and he still hadn’t shown any talent with bending.

Aang tried hard not to take it personally, but he was only mortal. Being the Avatar didn’t mean he was perfect. Heck, Toph’s daughter, Lin, was a year younger than Tenzin but had already shown she could earthbend. She was already moving small boulders. Of course, with Toph as her mom, she’d be one of the best earthbenders in the world by the time she was a teenager.

Aang reached over and began to stack blocks with his son. He heard Katara and Kya talking, but couldn’t hear what they were saying. No doubt, they’d go outside during the next full moon, and Katara would show Kya what it meant to--

A block fell.

Aang frowned and picked it back up, setting it where it had been.

A soft breeze knocked it down again.

He glanced up at Tenzin, who was humming to himself as he picked the block up and set it somewhere else.

“Did you just…?”

Tenzin turned to him, large eyes wide and questioning.

“Tenzie,” Aang said, scooting closer, “can you… can you do this?” He rolled his wrist and created a small current of spinning air, knocking a block down from its perch.

His son laughed softly and mimicked the motion.

A gust of air spun from his chubby hand and pushed a block aside. It didn’t fall. The gust was weak and obviously unpracticed, but it was more than enough to send Aang’s head spinning. His son was… he was... 

Aang was not alone.

_He wasn’t alone._

There was another airbender.

_I’m not alone._

His eyes rolled back into his head, and he promptly passed out from shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't help but imagine that Aang would be so _shocked_ at learning that Tenzin can airbend that he would have passed right out. He's been alone for so long, the last of his kind, that I cannot imagine any other reaction from him--especially if Tenzin took his sweet time showing that he can airbend lol


	14. Let Him Walk the Path of His People

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: I'm so sorry!! I'm not very familiar with Kya's character, and I didn't realize that she's canonically a lesbian. I have updated the chapter and made changes to reflect her correct, canon sexuality.
> 
> Thank you to the kind reader who pointed this out! I will do my best to be more diligent in the future.

**Eight Years Later**

Aang had spent the last eight years teaching Tenzin everything he would need to know about airbender culture. Admittedly, he was a bit more stern with his youngest son than his other children. Not that it was intentional, but Tenzin had ended up being sort of… _his_ to raise, while Kya was Katara’s.

By now, Bumi was twenty-three and had joined the Republic military. Kya had grown into a rather independent and spirited young woman, and she was rarely home. For the most part, she was a good girl, and for the last several months, she had been training up at the Northern Water Tribe, learning to perfect her ice bending and her work with snow. She had even written home about meeting a nice young woman, and it sounded like she was considering marrying her.

Katara was convinced she was still too young. 

Aang figured she was simply being rebellious by wanting to marry at her age. Eventually, she’d decide whether marriage was right for her, regardless whom she married, and as long as she wasn’t doing anything illegal or terribly wrong, he was mostly fine with letting her do as she pleased.

When not with his father, Tenzin spent a great deal of his time with the Beifong sisters, Lin and Suyin. They were all about the same age and got along famously. Between Tenzin’s airbending prowess and Lin and Su’s talent with earthbending, the three of them were often in and out of trouble.

And that was where Aang had issues.

His son was, in a sense, the _last_ airbender around. Aang knew what it meant to be the only airbender, but with Tenzin, he was anxious about his son not quite understanding the _weight_ of what was on his shoulders. Their entire culture had been lost, and the two of them were all that remained of the once great Air Nation.

Seeing Tenzin get in and out of petty trouble was more than a little irritating. He got on well with Lin, but Suyin was starting to tarnish his upbringing, and Aang had to put a stop to it. The last thing he needed was for his son, his _airbender son,_ to get caught stealing or getting into trouble. Suyin was Toph’s problem, and in a sense, Aang understood why Toph let her daughters do as they pleased; she’d been brought up in a strict household, after all. She’d never been allowed to do what she wanted, and so she was giving her daughters the freedom she’d never been granted.

Unfortunately, that freedom was turning into a bad influence rather than a good one. While Lin seemed to have found herself drawn to structure and law and was currently looking into how to become a junior officer under her mother’s police force, Suyin was getting into more and more trouble. She’d often been caught stealing and committing minor crimes with her friends around Republic City.

And the last time she’d been caught, Tenzin was with her.

Aang sat down across from his son. They were out back, at the small meditation center that Aang had built for the two of them to connect with their inner selves. While Tenzin still couldn’t seem to link with the spirit world, he had shown some talent in simply _being_ while meditating. It was a sliver of hope in what Aang was beginning to feel to be a dark direction for his youngest.

“Tenzin,” Aang said, crossing his legs and floating to the ground, “I need to talk to you about the other night.”

Tenzin sighed and dropped down across from his dad. He was thirteen, nearly fourteen. At this age, he was still so impressionable. Aang had saved the world when he was physically younger than Tenzin, and he’d never thought he’d be talking to his child about petty theft.

His son frowned. His hair was growing in again, a light tuft across his head. Aang had tried to explain the importance of keeping his head shaved, but Tenzin still struggled with it. He was still so young, and he didn’t quite understand why he had to keep his head shaved when Bumi and Kya _didn’t._ The Air Acolytes often shaved their heads, and while Aang tried to guide his son to spend time with them, it wasn’t always easy to do so.

Tenzin scratched his head, scowling.

“Do you want to tell me why you thought it would be a good idea to steal from that shop?” Aang pressed, relaxing into the half lotus position, hands resting in his lap, legs more relaxed than in full lotus.

“We didn’t do anything wrong,” he replied, mirroring Aang’s pose without any real enthusiasm for it.

Aang narrowed his eyes. “You _stole_ from a hard-working Republic City citizen. You can’t tell me you didn’t do anything wrong. I know we taught you better than that.”

At least his son had the decency to look properly chastised. He turned away and didn’t try to defend his actions any further.

“I’d like you to tell me _why_ you did it.”

Tenzin shook his head.

“No you don’t want to tell me, or no you don’t know why you did it?”

A few seconds ticked by, the two of them silent: Aang waiting for his son’s answer and Tenzin likely thinking through how to explain his actions.

At last, Tenzin spoke. His voice was so soft that Aang could barely hear a word of what he said.

“Try again,” Aang commanded. “A bit louder this time, so I can hear you.”

That earned him a dramatic sigh. “You and Mom have everything figured out, but I _don’t._ How am I supposed to… supposed to fit in like _this?”_ He gestured to himself, dressed in traditional airbender robes, no tattoos (yet), and with peach fuzz growth across his head and upper lip. “I don’t look like _anyone else_ in the city!”

Aang opened his mouth to say that his son looked like _him,_ just… taller than when Aang had been his age. But in that second, the way Tenzin turned to look at the stone floor of the small meditation pagoda, he realized what Tenzin meant.

His son didn’t look like any of the other children in the city. They were all a mixture of non-benders and benders from the three remaining nations. They wore green or blue or red, while Tenzin wore orange and yellow. They all had hair at his age, while Tenzin was fighting to keep the small fuzz he woke up with every morning. They had heritage and history and shared it with others around them.

The only person Tenzin shared any of that with was Aang, his _father._ Not his peer, but his elder--and on top of that, the _Avatar._

Aang bowed his head in thought. “What if you and I did something about that? What if we found a way for you to be with others like yourself?”

Tenzin’s lower lip pushed out in a pout, his eyebrows drawing together. “There _aren’t_ any others like me. Just… _you.”_ He gestured to Aang and looked away.

Maybe it shouldn’t have hurt as bad as it did, but the words stung deep. Aang understood what Tenzin meant, to some extent. But there was a stark difference between their upbringing. Until he was twelve, Aang had been surrounded by his people. He’d lived his life every day with others like him, and had learned traditions and the ways of the Air Nomads firsthand. Tenzin’s only experience with airbender culture was through Aang and through the brief visits to Air Temple Island. Even then, his immersion wasn’t nearly as deep as Aang would have like--or had thought it had been.

Now that he thought about it, maybe it was time for a drastic change.

Kya and even Bumi had people--plural--around them every single day who understood who they were and the cultures they came from. Tenzin didn’t have that. Not daily.

So, Aang reached for his son’s shoulder and squeezed, getting his boy to look up at him. “I think it’s time you and I made a change.”

Katara wouldn’t like it, but this was the only way Aang could see Tenzin growing and accepting his heritage--and his culture. Rather than staying in Republic City, in a place when Tenzin felt like he had to change who he was to fit in, Aang decided in that moment that the two of them would move to Air Temple Island so that Tenzin could be surrounded by people who shared their culture. Yes, they weren’t airbenders, but they were the closest thing Aang could offer to his own childhood.

*

“You _what?”_ Katara demanded, glaring at Aang. “You can’t be serious!”

Aang held his hands up, trying to calm her down by showing he wasn’t going to be aggressive about this discussion. He rarely was aggressive about anything at home these days. Just Tenzin, and even then, his aggression was actually deep love in disguise.

“I think it’s the best thing for him,” he said. “He has no one else here his age who understands him. He spends his days with Suyin while Lin is studying at the academy and trying to go into the police force. If he doesn’t find his own path soon, he’s going to go down the wrong one.”

Katara stepped back and ran her hand over her face. She shook her head. “He’s still too young, Aang. He’s only thirteen!”

“Katara,” Aang said, taking her hands gently in his own, “we were about his age when we traveled the world. I was his age when--”

“But he’s not _you!”_ she argued. “He’s not the Avatar. There’s a difference!”

“Yes,” he conceded with a nod. “There is a difference. I grew up around other airbenders at the Southern Air Temple. He hasn’t had that chance. The _only_ airbender he knows is me. And… and I’m his father, Katara. He doesn’t have any way to put me into perspective as a child because he doesn’t have any other references for what it’s like to be a young airbender. Taking him to the temple, where he can live with others his own age who respect and live his culture daily, is the only way to help him understand that he’s not…” His voice trailed off. He released her hand. Pain swelled in his chest, tightening his throat. “It’s the only way to help him see that he’s not weird. He’s not bizarre or strange or wrong. And I’ve been wrong to try and bring him up in a city that doesn’t show him that. Every time he leaves this house, he sees people dressed completely differently than himself. He sees other benders who don’t share the same respect and serenity as our culture. I didn’t even realize it, but keeping him here is… is wrong. We’re alienating him from himself, Katara. Don’t you see it?”

She stayed silent for a few long seconds before finally taking Aang’s hands in her own. She bent over to catch his gaze. “I didn’t think of it that way. But… you’re right.” She shook her head, tears glistening along her waterline. “I really hate to admit it, but you’re right. It’s just… he’s still so young. Bumi’s gone, off in the military, and Kya… Kya’s up north, training, and now she’s talking about getting _married.”_ Katara ran a thumb under her eyes. “They’re growing up so fast, and Tenzin’s the only one left here.”

Aang held her hand tighter. “He’s ready. He needs this.”

At last, she nodded. “Okay. But… what about you?”

“I’ll stay with him there for a week or so, help him get adjusted, but I want him to experience life on his own with others who share his culture.”

“If… if you think it’s the right thing to do,” she said at last. “I just wish that it wasn’t so soon.”

“Don’t worry. Tenzin’s a good kid.” He smiled. “He’s a lot like you. Strong, determined, smart.” He chuckled. “Almost too smart for his own good, sometimes.”

“I want to visit him.”

“Of course. Any time you want.”

She nodded. “Fine.”

“And I’ll be taking him to all of the air temples. I want him and the Air Acolytes to really learn as much as they can about my culture. With Yakone gone, things are finally calm enough for me to give the acolytes some quality time, and I think that including Tenzin is the right thing to do.”

Katara shrugged and laughed. “You think Appa can still carry all of them?”

“He’s old, not infirmed,” he replied with his own chuckle. “Who knows what we’ll find out there. It’s been so long since we’ve gone…”

The last time he’d been to any of the air temples was right after Bumi had been born. Things in Republic City had just become too hectic for them to make the journey since then.

And now that he was finally able to leave for a while--and take his son with him--he felt… well, thrilled. He’d finally get the chance to really show Tenzin about his heritage, and maybe, just maybe, Tenzin would grow into the amazing airbending master Aang knew he could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may write a spin-off of their trip, because I want this to be when Aang finds other sky bison and learns that Appa, who's definitely in his golden years by this point, isn't the last of his kind. I want to foreshadow the return of the Air Nomad nation, too. I think them going to the eastern temple and finding sky bison living there would be such an emotional experience for Aang and for Tenzin. Tenzin finding and connecting with his own bison on that trip, to me, is probably what truly helps him finally connect with his heritage and come to terms with who he is. I can't imagine being the only person like myself in a whole city, let alone the whole world, and I hope I broached the topic in the right way. I really wanted to show that Aang realizes how much of a mistake it was to raise Tenzin like his other two children--because Tenzin isn't like them at his core. He's a completely different person from anyone else on the planet, even Aang, since Aang is the Avatar. Tenzin, in my mind, had a very lonely childhood. Not only is he MUCH younger than his siblings, but he literally has no one else to compare his personal experiences with. Aang's an adult and can only share and relate so much to him, especailly with how quickly technology and culture in Republic City was changing at the time.
> 
> IDK, this chapter's been sitting in my mind for a while, and I just really hope I did the idea justice. Tenzin was always my favorite, and I wanted to show a bit of his personal struggles when it comes to fitting in. Teenage years are so tender, and it's when we yearn to fit in the most. Since Suyin and Lin are about his age (and they're the only Gaang kids his age, let's be honest here), he probably mimicked them a lot to try and find his way... and when Lin leaves to start working toward her future on the force, Tenzin is probably left with Suyin, and so who does he mimic? Her and her friends, who we know from LOK are a bit of a rougher crowd.
> 
> Anyway... I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It's so close to my heart.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	15. Let His Breath be Filled With Golden Rays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe this fic is done. This was one of the most rewarding stories I've written in a long time, and I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to write it. Thank you to [Sour_Bananurrr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sour_Bananurrr/) for coming to me with the idea and for supporting the fic from beginning to end. I honestly never would have tackled this journey without your support. And thank you all for reading it.
> 
> This chapter comes at a time when I need it the most. I lost my grandfather on Monday, and working through that pain through Aang was extremely cathartic. I feel lucky to have had the chance to ruminate on my grandfather's similarities to Aang, and while the pain is still present and will be for a long time, I feel... better. Even if just a little.
> 
> Remember to love those close to you without restraint. The world always needs more love.
> 
> **If you're a sensitive reader, please check the updated tags. Thank you.**

**Several Years Later**

Age made Aang’s hands and elbows ache as he rolled out of bed. His lower back popped. His knees cracked as he shuffled his legs over the side of the mattress. The chill of early winter seeped through the cracks and crevices in his Republic City home, and he paused at the edge of his bed to rub the stiffness from his joints one by one. After so many years of bending and being injured, he was noticing more and more how his body aged.

Some days, it felt like he was growing older faster than he should be. Katara had minor aches and pains, but nothing like Aang’s. He supposed it was in part due to being locked in ice for a hundred years. Another part of him figured it was from the physical strain being the Avatar caused. After all, he was powerful--powerful, but mortal.

Aang sighed softly. A shiver rolled through him. The sun was barely up.

_Today’s going to be cold._

He pushed heat into his hands, steam rising from his palms as he used firebending to try and warm himself. The heat helped, but it wouldn’t last. As soon as he stopped firebending, the pain and stiffness would return. Such was the result of bending for so many years and abusing his body. While Aang had never preferred violence, as the Avatar, it seemed to follow him wherever he went. Some days he had no choice but to fight.

_Why can’t people simply… exist? Where has the harmony gone?_

His back was the worst.

The spot where Azula had shot him burned time and again, as if the injury were fresh. Sometimes, if he overdid it, he whited out for a few seconds from the sharp stab of pain that ricocheted down his spine and up into his neck and skull. That injury had never completely healed. It never would, probably.

That morning, he inhaled a short breath, and sharp pain stabbed through his back and lungs. It was normal, but it shouldn’t have been.

He grunted in pain.

Katara rolled toward him and drew water from her basin to help. This was their morning routine now. It had been for some years by this point. Aang wished it wasn’t, though. He’d have given just about anything to simply wake up and admire his wife without aching so badly that he woke her. Still, he was thankful for her knowing when he needed her healing touch. Katara knew just how to direct the water to work out the kinks and taught muscles along Aang’s spine to relax the pain from the old, knotted scar in the middle of his back.

“Thanks,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep--or lack thereof.

Regardless of how tired Aang became, these days, he never could quite get the rest he needed. Some nights he slept fitfully, while others he simply lay awake on his bed, gazing up at the blue light cast from the moon and stars outside as it crept across their ceiling. Last night was no different. The occasional flicker of electric light had joined the moonlight whenever a Satomobile rumbled past. Aang still marveled at the noisy vehicles. They were odd machines, to be sure, based off of the old steam-based technology the Fire Nation had once used to terrorize the world.

 _I still can’t believe that someone found a non-violent use for them._ It was incredible. He hoped it was a sign that other technologies and the people who discovered and used them would do so in similar, non-violent ways.

“Did you sleep?” she asked. Her hands moved in easy, practiced motions as she worked his back. Bit by bit, the tension around the old injury faded.

Aang closed his eyes and relaxed into her healing touch. “No.”

“Nightmares?”

Those were typical for him. The older he became, the more nightmares plagued his sleep. He dreamt about everything from Fire Lord Ozai and Azula to Yakone and other monsters he’d fought over the years. The worst nightmare, though, was being locked in darkness. He couldn’t describe it, but those dreams always felt so… _cold._ Cold and dark and silent.

A shiver rolled through him. Gooseflesh prickled over his arms and shoulders.

“My work is never done,” he replied, voice gentle but weary. He did a good job of hiding the terrors that plagued him at night. “I’m worried I’ve given all I can. That my… my time is up.”

Katara’s hands stopped. Water rippled over the scar on his back, cool and calming. “Aang… please don’t say such things.” Her voice broke. “I can’t imagine my life without you. You know that.”

He didn’t have a response. At least not one that wouldn’t upset her. His time on this plane was running thin. With every day that passed, he knew his life here, with Katara and the others, grew shorter. Certainly he had no desire to leave his friends and family behind, but he of all people understood what it meant to be called home to the Spirit World. Meditations became longer. Immersion in the Spirit World became more complete. Soon, he wouldn’t come back.

It was inevitable. Death was part of life. He had accepted that long ago, but Katara still clung to the notion that he would be with her always.

“Sorry, Katara,” he said, turning toward her to pull her close. He hadn’t meant to upset her. While death was an inevitability, he didn’t want to dwell on it in such a way that would hurt his love.

As his gaze fell on her, his heart swelled. _My love._

Time and age had turned her more beautiful in his eyes. Fine wrinkles edged her eyes and forehead. Smile lines surrounded her mouth. Her blue eyes twinkled in the early morning light, and her dark hair had gone silver over the years. She still had a few darker strands left, but it wouldn’t be long before they, too, were overtaken by the silver of her moonlight hair.

Despite her age, she kept active. She was still slender, still powerful enough to knock just about anyone down. In his eyes, she would always be strong and beautiful beyond words.

Aang cupped her cheek in his hand and smiled as he leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. They shared a breath. “I love you endlessly, Katara.”

“I love you, too,” she murmured.

A soft kiss followed, and with it, he tasted their years together. The pressure of her lips against his skin was always welcome. It reminded him just how much he was loved, how deeply she cared for him. In every touch, he felt their past: everything from the day he’d awoken to her face out on the ice to their wedding day to their night on the beach on Whale Tail Island. With every caress, he fell more and more in love with the woman who had claimed his heart so many years ago--and kept it safe ever since.

“How’s your back feeling?” She lifted her water-covered hands in a silent question, asking if he needed more of her healing attention.

Aang gently pushed her hands down. “Better. Much better. Thank you.”

She hummed and sent the water back into its basin without nary a ripple or splash. So many years bending water had made it more than an extension of herself. Water had become part of her by now. She was water, and it was her.

Aang had mastered waterbending long ago, but he’d never had the same connection with it that she had. He doubted he ever would--at least not until he was reborn as a member of the Water Tribe.

 _And that day grows nearer and nearer,_ he thought, watching his wife scoot out of bed to get ready for the day.

He stayed where he was, bones tired. Body tired. Everything just… _tired._ He was so exhausted, and some part of him was ready for the rest that death would offer. It sounded morbid, which was why he never told Katara about how he longed for that final rest, but he’d done all he could do in this lifetime. At sixty-six, he knew he’d lived an incredible and fulfilling life. Few others had experienced the life he had. It wouldn’t be long before time caught up with him.

And, in a strange way, he was ready.

He was ready to return to the Spirit Realm and let the next Avatar in the cycle take his place. After all, he’d done everything he’d set out to accomplish. He’d saved the world more times than he could count. He’d helped people far and wide and had helped Katara rear a strong, amazing family.

These days, Tenzin was a master airbender in his own right. He lived on Air Temple Island with the Acolytes, tending to the herd of sky bison they’d found several decades prior. He was a master of spiritual enlightenment, and even though Tenzin had yet to actually commune with the Spirit World, he knew everything Aang had to teach about his people.

Aang had nothing left to give him.

Kya, like her mother, was a strong, incredible woman. She and her wife traveled the world, healing and teaching and growing in all the ways he and Katara had instilled in her. Aang was beyond proud of the woman she had grown into. Her waterbending was second only to Katara’s, in his eyes. Even he had been bested by his daughter in one-on-one waterbending matches. She truly was a marvelous woman, and he was endlessly proud of her.

Aang had nothing left to offer her.

Bumi, their eldest son, had become a decorated officer, the commander of the Second Division of the United Forces. He’d made a name for himself far and wide. People living on all corners of the globe knew of Bumi’s military prowess, and while Aang was admittedly not as close with his eldest son as he was with Tenzin and Kya, he was proud of him regardless. Sokka had taught him well, and Aang and Katara had given Bumi everything they could offer. He lived a life filled with a wealth of knowledge and experience, learning things that Aang could never have dreamed of knowing.

Aang had nothing more to teach him.

Slowly, Aang rolled back into bed. The pillow beneath his head was soft. He closed his eyes, ready to just… rest. All he needed was a little more rest, and then he would get up and tackle the day. He would take on whatever needed taking on.

_Just a little longer. I’ll get up in a little bit._

His muscles relaxed, and he exhaled before taking a deep, long breath. In that breath, he tasted all the world on his tongue. Spices from the Fire Nation; rich, wonderful breads from the Earth Kingdom; vegetarian stews from the Water Tribe; and there, at the very end of his inhale, he tasted the sweet fruit pies and cakes of the Air Nation.

Aang held his breath, hoping to keep those memories just a little longer. He cracked his eyes open, gazing at the ceiling as the sun crept across it. He exhaled slowly. Golden light slowly filled his bedchamber, and he pondered what it might be like to return to the Southern Water Tribe to live out his final years. Maybe he and Katara could leave the city behind. Surely by now he’d earned a right to live in peace for a few years without having to worry about other people’s problems. Surely he could be allowed that much.

He hummed, focusing on his breath as he let his eyes drift shut again.

Yes.

That sounded lovely. It was all he wanted now. Time with Katara. Time with Sokka. Time with his family and loved ones. Time without strife or turmoil or fighting. Time to simply _be._

After a lifetime of helping others, it was time to enjoy a simple life with the woman he loved most.

He exhaled again, breath blowing out into the world and going wherever the wind took it.


End file.
